The two countries involved in the Cold War were the United States and the Soviet Union. This prolonged period of geopolitical tension emerged after World War II, characterized by ideological rivalry between capitalism, led by the U.S., and communism, led by the U.S.S.R. The Cold War included a series of proxy wars, nuclear arms races, and significant events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Korean War. Additionally, it led to the division of Europe into Eastern and Western blocs and influential movements that shaped international relations and domestic policies for several decades.