Explanation:
The Cold War began after the Second World War, primarily between the two emerging superpowers: the United States and the Soviet Union. The ideological differences between the capitalist West (led by the US) and the communist East (led by the Soviet Union) led to a global political and military rivalry. The Cold War was marked by an arms race, nuclear weapons buildup, and proxy wars, but direct military conflict between the US and USSR was avoided. The world became divided into two blocs: the Western bloc, led by the US, and the Eastern bloc, led by the Soviet Union. The Cold War had a profound impact on global politics for nearly half a century, shaping international relations and leading to events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.