The Iron Curtain is a term related to the Cold War.It means the border between the states that were members of the Warsaw Pact (in Eastern Europe), and those that were not (then called The West).. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? Learn more. 1946. Warren Commission (9 of 26): Hearings Vol. What does the Iron Curtain refer to? The restrictions and the rigidity of the Iron Curtain were somewhat reduced in the years following Joseph Stalin’s death in 1953, although the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 restored them. The 'Iron Curtain' was a phrase used to describe the physical, ideological and military division of Europe between the western and southern capitalist states and the eastern, Soviet-dominated communist nations during the Cold War, 1945–1991. Iron Curtain speech, speech delivered by former British prime minister Winston Churchill in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, in which he stressed the necessity for the United States and Britain to act as the guardians of peace and stability against the menace of Soviet communism, which had lowered an “ iron curtain” across Europe. Send us feedback. These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'iron curtain.' The term Iron Curtain had been in occasional and varied use as a metaphor since the 19th century, but it came to prominence only after it was used by former British prime minister Winston Churchill in a speech at Fulton, Missouri, U.S., on March 5, 1946, when he said of the communist states, “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.”. The Iron Curtain was the Western term, taken from a 1946 speech by Winston Churchill, describing the post-World War II domination of Eastern Europe by the Soviet Union (USSR). Accessed 31 Dec. 2020. iron curtain The Iron Curtainis a term used in the West to refer to the boundary linewhich divided Europe into two separate areas of political influence from the end of World War II until the end of the Cold War. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. Churchill first used the term soon after the war, when the Soviet Union was beginning to carry out its plans for postwar dominance of eastern Europe. The Iron Curtain is a term related to the Cold War. During this period, Eastern Europe was under the political control and/or influence of the Soviet Union, while Western Europe enjoyed political freedom (see Free World). As the government agency tried to penetrate the iron curtain of the foreign country, it refused to give the agency access to their information. iron curtain - an impenetrable barrier to communication or information especially as imposed by rigid censorship and secrecy; used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the demarcation between democratic and communist countries ideological barrier - a barrier to cooperation or interaction resulting from conflicting ideologies Iron Curtain speech, speech delivered by former British prime minister Winston Churchill in Fulton, Missouri, on March 5, 1946, in which he stressed the necessity for the United States and Britain to act as the guardians of peace and stability against the menace of Soviet communism, which had lowered an “ iron curtain” across Europe. What made you want to look up iron curtain? We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. But with the end of apartheid, like the artists who watched the fall of the Iron Curtain in Europe, theater had to find new voices and search for new issues. Churchill described the border between these countries and Western Europe as an 'iron curtain' and was worried the soviet union was taking over europe-increased tensions. The Iron Curtain refers to the sphere of influence that the Soviet Union had among eight communist states of Central and Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Key Points. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. 2. The antagonism between the Soviet Union and the West that came to be described as the “iron curtain” had various origins, including events going back to the Russian Revolution of 1917, disagreements during and immediately after WWII, and various annexations of Eastern European nations by the Soviet Union. 108, which addresses the SEC’s concerns over registrants’ exclusive reliance on either the “iron curtain” or “rollover” approaches (explained within Heads Up ) … What was the Iron curtain speech? This border was between East Germany and West Germany, between Czechoslovakia and Austria, and between Hungary and Austria.. At the end of World War II Austria, Germany and Berlin were divided … From 1946-1989, the Iron Curtain was the name of the border between Western Europe and the…. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. iron curtain 1. Definition of the-iron-curtain noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Churchill described the border between these countries and Western Europe as an 'iron curtain' and was worried the soviet union was taking over europe-increased tensions. Definition of Iron Curtain in English: Iron Curtain. The geographical border and military, political, and ideological barrier established and enforced by the Soviet Union that separated the countries … Iron Curtain 1. proper noun People referred to the border that separated the Soviet Union and the communist countries of Eastern Europe from the Western European countries as the Iron Curtain. IX (of 15) The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy the Iron Curtain meaning: From 1946-1989, the Iron Curtain was the name of the border between Western Europe and the…. Irone definition, a colorless liquid of isomeric, unsaturated ketones, C14H22O, obtained from orris root: used in perfumery for its odor of violets. Under this method, the cumulative effect of a misstatement in the balance sheet is considered, rather than … Iron Curtain Facts - 1: The term "Iron Curtain" was used to describe the boundary that separated the free democratic countries of the West with the communist dominated countries of the East, as shown in the map.The boundary existed from 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its satellite states from open contact with the West and its allied states. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/event/Iron-Curtain. Search Iron Curtain and thousands of other words in English Cobuild dictionary from Reverso. The Brandenburg Gate, as seen through a barbed-wire barrier that represented the earliest version of the Berlin Wall, 1961. It doesn’t require balancing a ball on your nose. The iron curtain method is a technique for determining whether a financial misstatement is material. The phrase was ironically reinforced by the Berlin Wall's 1961 construction by East Germany to … iron curtain - an impenetrable barrier to communication or information especially as imposed by rigid censorship and secrecy; used by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the demarcation between democratic and communist countries Learner's definition of IRON CURTAIN. The phrase was ironically reinforced by the Berlin Wall's 1961 construction by East Germany to prevent its … Iron Curtain, the political, military, and ideological barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War II to seal off itself and its dependent eastern and central European allies from open contact with the West and other noncommunist areas. More from Merriam-Webster on iron curtain, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about iron curtain. Definition of Iron Curtain. 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