What did the term "proxy wars" refer to during the Cold War?

The term "proxy wars" during the Cold War specifically refers to conflicts in which the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, supported opposing sides without directly engaging in battle against one another. Instead, both nations provided military, economic, or logistical support to various factions or governments in countries embroiled in civil wars or regional conflicts. These proxy wars allowed the superpowers to exert influence and test their ideologies without risking a direct military confrontation that could escalate into a more significant conflict, such as a nuclear war.

For instance, notable examples include the Vietnam War, where the U.S. supported the South Vietnamese government against the North Vietnamese, which was backed by the Soviet Union and China. In Latin America, U.S. involvement in conflicts like those in Nicaragua and Cuba illustrates the dynamics of proxy warfare, where each side sought to promote its interests and ideologies through local conflicts rather than engaging in a head-to-head confrontation.

This understanding of proxy wars highlights the indirect nature of Cold War tensions and the complex international landscape during that era. Other options, such as direct confrontations, diplomatic negotiations, or purely economic competitions, do not capture the essence of how the superpowers strategically engaged in conflicts through local allies instead of confronting each other