Final answer:
Containment was the U.S. policy during the Cold War aimed at preventing the spread of Communism through deterrence, military action, alliances, and economic support. The key goal was to limit Soviet influence to Eastern Europe, which led to initiatives like the Marshall Plan and NATO.
Step-by-step explanation:
Containment is a foreign policy strategy that was developed by the United States during the Cold War to prevent the spread of Communism and Soviet influence around the world. The policies the U.S. government instituted to further containment included deterrence strategy, military intervention, economic aid and alliances, and to a lesser extent, aspects of isolationism. The primary goal of U.S. foreign policy at the beginning of the Cold War was to prevent the Soviet Union from spreading communism outside Eastern Europe, effectively constraining Soviet influence to a specified area.
The U.S. employed a multitude of strategies to contain communism, such as establishing economic sanctions, fostering diplomatic relationships, and utilizing hard power when necessary. Notable examples of containment policy include the Marshall Plan, which provided economic support to rebuild Western European nations after World War II and the formation of military alliances such as NATO to counter Soviet military power.