Germany serves as the primary example for this statement. In the 19th century, the German states were unified under Bismarck in 1871. Conversely, the 20th century saw Germany partitioned into East and West Germany following the defeat in World War II, reflecting the geopolitical divisions of the Cold War era until reunification in 1990.

Fidel Castro led the 26th of July Movement, which successfully overthrew the government of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba on January 1, 1959. This event marked a significant shift in Cold War dynamics in the Western Hemisphere, as Cuba subsequently aligned itself with the Soviet Union, leading to long-standing geopolitical tensions with the United States.

Following Joseph Stalin's death in March 1953, Nikita Khrushchev emerged as the dominant political figure in the Soviet Union. This transition period was marked by intensifying geopolitical competition between the Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviet Union's nuclear testing in 1953 further escalated tensions, contributing significantly to the deepening of the Cold War rivalry between the two superpowers.

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first artificial satellite, on October 4, 1957. This event shocked the international community, particularly the United States, and triggered the Space Race, a pivotal component of the Cold War competition between the two superpowers for technological and ideological supremacy.

During the Cold War, the United States sought to balance Soviet influence through strategic realignments. The 1972 Nixon visit to China marked a major thaw in US-China relations, while the US also engaged in various diplomatic efforts to strengthen ties with India to counter regional communist expansion, despite India's non-aligned status.

The Cold War was defined by the geopolitical and ideological rivalry between the United States, representing capitalist democracy, and the Soviet Union, representing Marxist-Leninist communism. This bipolar struggle influenced international relations, proxy wars, and the formation of global alliances for nearly five decades.

Following the signing of the Geneva Accords in 1988, the Soviet Union began a phased withdrawal of its troops. The final Soviet soldier crossed the Amu Darya river back into the USSR on February 15, 1989. This withdrawal signaled the end of a decade-long conflict that had severely strained the Soviet economy and military, and it left the Afghan communist government to face the Mujahideen resistance on its own, eventually leading to the regime's collapse in 1992.

Josip Broz Tito was a central figure in Yugoslav politics, leading the partisan resistance during World War II. After the war, he established a socialist state and maintained a policy of non-alignment during the Cold War. He served as Prime Minister and later President for life, playing a crucial role in balancing the diverse ethnic groups within the Yugoslav federation until his death in 1980.

The Soviet Union underwent massive industrialization during the 1930s, primarily driven by Joseph Stalin's Five-Year Plans. These plans aimed to transform the agrarian Soviet economy into an industrial powerhouse, though the process involved significant human cost.

For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the international system was dominated by European powers. Through colonialism, industrialization, and complex alliance systems, European states exerted significant influence over global affairs. While the two World Wars shifted the center of gravity toward the United States and the Soviet Union, Europe remained the primary theater for great power competition and the origin of the modern state system that defines international relations today.