与对轴心国的战争不同，美国在冷战上采取了多种战术、全面开花，并持续了几十年之久 — — 使用了政治、经济以及核威慑，也使用了有限武力，以保证对苏联的遏制。
Unlike the battle against the Axis, the US fought the Cold War in many ways, on many fronts, and over many decades – using politics, economics, and nuclear deterrence, as well as limited armed action, to ensure the USSR’s containment.