Background

Two "superpowers," the United States and the Soviet Union, emerged from World War II. The two had long had incompatible ideologies and national interests, and their wartime alliance against Nazi Germany had begun to crumble even before the fighting ceased.

During the war, the Soviet Union had annexed three formerly independent countriesLatvia, Lithuania, and Estoniaand after the war it set up puppet regimes in the eastern European countries occupied by its troops. China, which became a Communist power in 1949, sought dominance in eastern Asia. Both nations also promoted Communism throughout the world.

The United States and its Western European allies felt that their national interests and security were threatened by an expansion of Communism, and attempted to "contain" itthat is, prevent it from spreadingon all fronts. To further the policy of "containment," a number of anti-Communist alliances were formed in various parts of the world. Many of the countries of the world eventually became allied or aligned with either the United States or the Soviet Union. Those that did not became known as the "nonaligned," "neutralist," or "third world" countries, and their support was courted by both sides.

The armed forces of the major antagonists, the Soviet Union and the United States, did not confront one another directly in battle during the Cold War period. However, both sides were at times drawn intoas supporters, suppliers, or participants"brushfire" wars (fighting limited in scope or area) or more sizable conflicts (such as the Korean and Vietnamese wars). These were considered part of the large worldwide struggle between Communist and non-Communist powers.