Iron curtain
by Taj, Claudia, and Janet
Define
Cause
The Soviet Union controlled eastern Europe following WW II, and to maintain that control they had to keep out western influence. They were s trying to create a safety barrier between itself and any future invasions from western Eurpe (having already suffered two major invasions, first by Napoleon, and later by Hitler). But the Cold War was a struggle for global dominance between the two nuclear armed super-powers, the US and the USSR.
Characteristics
- the borderline ran from Estonia in the north to Yugoslavia in the south.
- It served as a wall to prevent citizens of Eastern bloc countries from migrating west.
- The iron curtain was finally lifted on June 27, 1989, at the border between Austria and Hungary
Significance
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On either side of the Iron Curtain, states developed their own international economic and military alliances.
"Iron Curtain"
In this cartoon we can see that the subject is an obvious parody of a stage play where Stalin is nervously peaking behind the Iron Curtain. Churchill and Truman sit in the balcony while the other Western Democracies are seated behind the orchestra.
Map of the Iron Curtain
A map showing the trail of the Iron Curtain.
Churchill taking a peep
It shows Churchill having a peep under the Iron Curtain. ‘Joe’ is suppose to be Joseph Stalin. The iron curtain was a 2,000 km line of barbed wire, look-out posts and road blocks.