Who was the United States’ main rival during the Cold War?

Answers from the USCIS list

Give one of these answers.

• Soviet Union
• USSR
• Russia

Our explanation

A rival is someone you compete against. After World War II, the U.S. and the Soviet Union did not trust each other. The Soviet Union (USSR) was Russia and the countries it controlled.

Remember it

Cold War: U.S. vs. U.S.S.R. The names even look alike.

Source

USCIS 2025 Study Guide (One Nation, One People, M-1175) p. 65: “Russia, and the countries it controlled, were called the Soviet Union. The U.S. and the Soviet Union did not trust each other.”

• 128 Civics Questions and Answers (2025 version), M-1778 (09/25) (PDF, USCIS)

Last checked on September 29, 2026.

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Easy to mix up with

• 109During the Cold War, what was one main concern of the United States?