Asia
This 1950–1953 conflict began when the North invaded the South, drawing in the U.S. and China.
The Korean War
This 1975–2002 civil war saw the USSR and Cuba support the MPLA while the U.S. and South Africa backed UNITA.
Angolan Civil War
This Caribbean island became a Soviet ally after a 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro.
Cuba
This 1956 conflict involved Egypt, backed by the USSR, against Israel, Britain, and France.
Suez Crisis
This term describes a conflict where major powers support opposing sides without fighting directly.
Proxy war
The U.S. backed South Vietnam while the USSR and China supported the North in this long war.
The Vietnam War
In this East African country, the U.S. supported Somalia while the USSR backed Ethiopia during the Ogaden War.
Ethiopia
This 1980s conflict saw the U.S. support the Contras against the Soviet‑backed Sandinista government.
Nicaraguan Civil War
This 1967 war saw the U.S. support Israel while the USSR backed several Arab states.
Six‑Day War
This U.S. policy aimed to stop the spread of communism, fueling many proxy conflicts.
Containment
This 1979 Soviet invasion turned into a decade‑long proxy war with U.S.-backed mujahideen fighters.
The Soviet-Afghan War
This former Belgian colony saw a 1960s crisis where the U.S. and Belgium opposed Soviet‑backed Lumumba supporters.
The Congo Crisis
This South American country’s 1973 coup replaced a socialist government supported by the USSR with a U.S.-backed dictatorship.
Chile
This 1973 conflict again pitted U.S.-supported Israel against Soviet‑backed Egypt and Syria.
Yom Kippur War
This Soviet leader oversaw early Cold War proxy involvement, including in Korea.
Joseph Stalin
This Southeast Asian country saw a civil war where the U.S. supported Lon Nol and the USSR backed the Khmer Rouge.
Cambodia
This 1977–1992 civil war in Mozambique featured Soviet support for FRELIMO and Western backing for RENAMO.
Mozambican Civil War
This Central American civil war (1980–1992) saw U.S. support for the government against leftist rebels backed by Cuba and the USSR.
Salvadoran Civil War
This 1980–1988 war saw the U.S. tilt toward Iraq while the USSR provided support to Iran early on.
Iran–Iraq War
This U.S. doctrine supported anti‑communist movements worldwide during the 1980s.
Reagan Doctrine
This 1965–1966 conflict in Indonesia saw Western support for anti‑communist forces against the PKI.
Indonesian mass purge
This North African country’s 1969 coup brought Gaddafi to power, shifting Cold War influence in the region.
Libya
This Caribbean nation saw a 1983 U.S. invasion after a Marxist faction took power with Cuban support.
Grenada
This 1953 event in Iran saw the U.S. and U.K. overthrow a prime minister seen as leaning toward the USSR.
The coup against Mohammad Mossadegh
This 1962 event in Cuba brought the U.S. and USSR to the brink of direct conflict.
Cuban Missile Crisis