Cold War

The Cold War was a period of political tension and rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union that lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s. It stemmed from ideological differences: the U.S. promoting capitalism and democracy, while the USSR advocated for communism. Although the two superpowers never engaged in direct military conflict, they fought proxy wars, engaged in an arms race, and competed for global influence. This era influenced international relations, led to the formation of military alliances like NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and culminated in the eventual dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.