---
title: "How did the policy of deterrence influence U.S. actions during the Cold War?"  
description: "How did the policy of deterrence influence U.S. actions during the Cold War?"  
author: "Howard fuller"  
published: 2018-10-28  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/51453/how-did-the-policy-of-deterrence-influence-u-s-actions-during-the-cold-war  
category: "history, politics & society"  
tags: ["usa history"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# How did the policy of deterrence influence U.S. actions during the Cold War? 

How did the [policy](https://www.mindstick.com/news/1785/an-engagement-of-google-india-with-policymaker-on-data-protection-legalisation-is-visible) of deterrence [influence](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/85016/the-legacy-of-vinayak-damodar-savarkar-examining-his-influence-on-hindu-nationalism) U.S. [actions](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/audio/1290/the-concept-of-karma-how-your-actions-shape-your-destiny) during the [Cold War](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/85587/know-about-the-fall-of-berlin-wall-end-of-cold-war)? \
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## Answers

### Answer by Stuti Gupta

**[Deterrence](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deterrence_theory)** refers to the strategy of **increasing the defense capabilities** of the United States and its forces to the point where no adversary would venture to strike for fear of retribution. It had an impact on the United States as it had to strive genuinely long to become a power to be reckoned with.

The phrase 'Cold War' refers to the **absence of a conflict among the major countries**, the USSR and the United States. As a result, they had some other options for waging a figurative battle over their adversary. They simultaneously desired to have as many [political](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/92957/which-political-party-cares-about-the-environment-in-india) friends as possible as well as the largest military armament feasible, which included atomic arms. The use of a large number of **radioactive bombs** under a strategy known as 'deterrence,' in which the goal was to persuade the opposing side not to strike. It illustrates how, during the Cold War, the United States retained a massive army expenditure.

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