What was the primary feature of the Cold War rivalry?

The primary feature of the Cold War rivalry was characterized by an ongoing arms race and proxy wars. This period, spanning from the end of World War II until the early 1990s, saw the United States and the Soviet Union vying for global influence without engaging in direct military combat against each other. Instead, both superpowers invested heavily in military technology, particularly nuclear weapons, leading to a significant arms race that created a tense international atmosphere.

In addition to the arms race, the Cold War manifested in various regional conflicts known as proxy wars. These were indirect confrontations where each superpower supported opposing factions or regimes in countries around the world, such as in Korea, Vietnam, and Afghanistan. This strategy allowed both the United States and the Soviet Union to extend their influence while avoiding direct military engagement, thus maintaining the Cold War's defining characteristic of competition without direct conflict.

While geopolitical struggles and economic competition were certainly elements of the Cold War, they did not encapsulate the rivalry's essence as directly as the arms race and the nature of proxy wars did. Direct nuclear conflict was a constant fear but did not materialize, making the arms race and proxy engagements the most defining features of this historical period.