The Cold War: Two Superpowers, Global Proxy Conflicts

So, the dust settled after WWII, and guess what? The grand alliance that defeated fascism decided they suddenly couldn't stand the sight of each other. On one side, the USA, champion of capitalism and blue jeans; on the other, the USSR, beacon of communism and... well, lots of grey. These two became the world's awkward divorcees, eyeing each other across a newly divided Europe and deciding that having friends was great, as long as those friends hated the other guy.

Direct confrontation was a bit too risky, considering both sides had rather large, explosive toys. Instead, they perfected the art of the "proxy war," which is basically paying or arming someone else to fight your battles in places most people couldn't find on a map. From Korea to Vietnam, Afghanistan to Angola, the world became a chessboard where pawns wore different flags but were moved by the same two hands. It was like a global game of 'Risk', but with actual lives and significantly less fun.