Kathy Horner, age 12, of Lawton, Iowa, for her question:
WHAT WAS 'BEHIND THE IRON CURTAIN'?
Premier Joseph Stalin of Russia made a stinging speech in February, 1946, shortly after World War II ended. He said that there would be wars as long as there were capitalist nations on earth. He told the Russian people that they must defend themselves. From that moment on there developed a diplomatic struggle that has been called the cold war between the democratic and the Communist nations of the world.
During World War II, the Communists joined the democracies in the fight against the Axis powers of Germany, Italy and Japan. After the war ended there was an expansion of Communist activities and many countries in Eastern Europe joined Russia in what was called the Communist bloc.
A cold war developed between the Free World bloc of nations and the Communist bloc. Each side accused the other of wanting to rule the world. Each believed that its political and economic systems were better than the other's.
Soon both blocs were strengthening their armed forces. Each side seemed to view the cold war as a dispute between right and wrong. Times became tense. It was very difficult to settle disputes peacefully through compromise since neither side wanted to give up anything. There was a fear that local conflicts might touch off a third world war.
In 1946 Russia cut off nearly all contacts between the West and the Communist held countries of Eastern Europe. Russia established trade barriers and a rigid censorship that cut off the Eastern European satellite countries from the rest of the world.
Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain, in a speech in March, 1946, warned the entire world that " an Iron Curtain has descended across the continent of Europe.'' The phrase Iron Curtain became popular as the way to express the barriers Russia had erected against the West.
A major symbol of the cold war and the Iron Curtain is found in the divided city of Berlin, located in Communist ruled East Germany. In 1961 the Communists actually built a wall though the city and stretched barbed wire across the Brandenburg Gate, the main route between East and West Berlin. It clearly showed a physical separation as well as the philosophical division between Communist leaders and the people from the Free World democracies.
Through the years since the cold war started, there have been a number of changes in the character of the struggle between East and West. There has been a loosening of ties among members of both blocs. Friendly relations have been evolving.
Some historians say the cold war has ended. Others believe that it will continue as long as both communism and democracy exist.