During the Cold War, the West's strategy of containment combined the hard power of military deterrence with the soft power of attracting people behind the Iron Curtain. Behind the wall of military containment, the West ate away Soviet self-confidence with broadcasts, student and cultural exchanges, and the success of capitalist economics.
在冷战时期，西方的遏制战略将军事威慑的硬权力和吸引"铁幕"后的人们的软权力结合起来。在军事遏制的高墙背后，西方还通过广播、学生和文化交流以及资本主义经济的成功来蚕食苏维埃的自信。正如一名前克格勃官员证实的那样，（国际）交流就像是针对苏联的特洛伊木马。它们在侵蚀苏维埃体系的过程中发挥了巨大的作用。艾森豪威尔总统在卸任后表示，他本应该从国防预算中抽出资金以强化美国新闻文化署的职能。