During the Cold War, there was a clear division between the USA and the Soviet Union in the world, the competition was more than a rivalry between the two countries. It represented the base of thinking, the US defended capitalism and the Soviet Union defended socialism and the race was based on the simple fact that the country that won the race would have the “better system”.
The Cold War then became an arms race and space race to see which country had the best technology. Both countries started developing and stocking nuclear weapons which created more and more competition between them.