* The Soviet Union was a communist state, while the United States was a capitalist democracy. The Soviet Union believed in a centrally planned economy and state control of society, while the United States believed in individual liberty and free markets.
* The two countries also had different foreign policy goals. The Soviet Union wanted to spread communism around the world, while the United States wanted to contain the spread of communism.
* These ideological and foreign policy differences led to a number of conflicts between the Soviet Union and the United States, including:
* The Korean War (1950-1953)
* The Vietnam War (1954-1975)
* The Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
* The War in Afghanistan (1979-1989)