Final answer:
During the Cold War, containment sought to prevent the spread of communism, with events like the Vietnam War and the Hungarian revolution serving as examples of external challenges to this policy.
Step-by-step explanation:
Examples of outer pushes in the containment theory during the Cold War include events such as the Vietnam conflict and the Hungarian revolution of 1956. In these events, the United States sought to keep the communist forces of the Soviet Union and China from influencing or taking control of other nations.
This effort was in line with the U.S. policy of containment, which aimed to limit the spread of communism, and was influenced by events that tested the U.S.'s resolve and capabilities. The Vietnam War, a proxy battle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, led to a reevaluation of the containment strategy, particularly its military aspect. Similarly, the Hungarian revolution was a stark example where the Soviet Union's aggressive response highlighted the limitations of American intervention under the banner of containment.