What major 20th-century conflict was characterized by a standoff between capitalist Western countries and communist Eastern countries?

The major 20th-century conflict characterized by a standoff between capitalist Western countries and communist Eastern countries is the Cold War. This period, which began after World War II and lasted until the early 1990s, was defined by political tension, military rivalry, and ideological opposition between the United States and its allies, who embraced capitalism and democracy, and the Soviet Union and its satellite states, which adhered to communism.

During the Cold War, the two superpowers engaged in various forms of competition, including arms races, proxy wars, and the space race, but never directly confronted each other in large-scale military conflict. The Cold War significantly shaped international relations and domestic policies in various countries, influencing events like the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the establishment of NATO and the Warsaw Pact.

In contrast, World War I and World War II were global conflicts involving numerous nations, but they were primarily defined by territorial disputes and alliances rather than ideological competition between capitalist and communist systems. The Korean War, while a significant military conflict during the Cold War that featured direct confrontation between North Korea (backed by China and the Soviet Union) and South Korea (supported by the United States and its allies), was just one of many conflicts that occurred within