Which military conflict is cited as a major event in the escalation of Cold War tensions?

The Korean War is widely recognized as a pivotal event that significantly escalated Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union. It marked one of the first major military confrontations of the Cold War and served as a direct manifestation of the ideological struggle between communism and democracy.

After World War II, Korea was divided into two separate states: the communist North, supported by the Soviet Union and China, and the capitalist South, backed by the United States and its allies. In June 1950, North Korean forces invaded South Korea with the intention of unifying the peninsula under a communist regime. This prompted the United States to intervene, viewing the conflict as a critical test of its containment policy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

The involvement of international forces, including those from the United Nations, further exemplified the global stakes of the conflict. The war not only solidified the division of Korea but also increased military and ideological hostilities between the East and West, setting the stage for further confrontations throughout the Cold War era.

In contrast, the Gulf War occurred in the early 1990s, after the Cold War had ended, and while it was significant, it did not contribute to the escalation of tensions during the Cold War itself