Final answer:
Containment was the chief strategy of the United States during the Cold War to minimize the threat of communism and the Soviet Union. It aimed to prevent the spread of communism and Soviet influence globally.
Step-by-step explanation:
Containment was the chief strategy of the United States during the Cold War. It was a policy to minimize the threat of communism and the Soviet Union by preventing the spread of communism and Soviet influence throughout the world. This strategy aimed to confine Soviet influence to Eastern Europe and prevent its political expansion into new areas. The policy of containment formed the basis for U.S. foreign policy and military decision making for more than thirty years.