When referring to a specific war (or other named event), should the word "war" be capitalized when it appears alone?

The Cold War instilled a fear of nuclear war in the public; additionally, the [war] was responsible for an extreme anti-Communist sentiment that lingers to this day.

Should the bracketed instance of "war" be capitalized? Can it be capitalized, possibly as an abbreviation of the war's full name?

Solution 1:

I generally would not capitalize it. A similar case would be the following sentence:

The Red Sox play at Fenway Park. Located in Boston, the park is the oldest in Major League Baseball.

where the second "park" is not capitalized.

I think you might be able to capitalize it as an abbreviation of the war's full name, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you make it clear that it is a shortening of the war's full name and you plan to continue using it throughout the rest of the (dialogue/paper/article).

Solution 2:

My own preference would be to leave it as it is, since 'war' on its own is not a proper noun, even if it refers to something that is.