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

The term "proxy wars" during the Cold War refers to conflicts in which the two superpowers, the United States and the Soviet Union, supported opposing sides rather than directly confronting each other. This strategy allowed both nations to exert influence and pursue their interests in various regions of the world without escalating into full-scale war.

For instance, in conflicts such as the Vietnam War, the U.S. supported the South Vietnamese government, while the USSR backed the North Vietnamese communists. Similarly, in Afghanistan, the U.S. provided aid to the Mujahedeen fighting against the Soviet invasion. These proxy wars were characterized by the involvement of smaller nations or factions that acted as stand-ins for the larger powers, reflecting the ideological and geopolitical tensions of the Cold War without escalating to direct confrontation between the U.S. and the USSR.

Understanding this concept is crucial in grasping how the Cold War was fought on multiple fronts, utilizing indirect methods through alliances and support for different groups, which allowed both sides to promote their respective ideologies of capitalism and communism without risking a direct conflict that could potentially lead to nuclear war.