How did the wars in Korea and Vietnam relate to the Cold War and affect its course?

The Cold War was a political, economic, and propaganda competition between the West and the East. The West was led by the United States, and the East was led by the Soviet Union. These two countries were by far the most powerful in the world at the conclusion of World War II in 1945. Apart from the Korean War (1950-53) and the Vietnam War (1965-73), the Cold War did not usually involve combat.

There had been tension between the West, primarily America and Britain, and the East during World War II. But these nations remained united because of their determination to defeat the Axis, Germany and Japan. When the Axis powers surrendered in 1945, old distrust and new disagreements became evident.

In 1945, areas in both Europe and Asia were occupied and divided into zones. Germany and Austria were divided into Western zones which were America, Britain, and France and Eastern Soviet zones.