On March 5, 1946, Winston Churchill was invited to the Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Truman's old college, to give a speech to inform about the relationship with Stalin, and with Great Britain. Churchill began his speech by calling America “at the pinnacle of world power,” and how “Our supreme task and duty is to guard the homes of the common people from the horrors and miseries of another war.” He then stated that the United States should have a closer “special relationship” with Great Britain, because of the powers of the “English-speaking world”. He claimed that Stalin had gone back on his word, and Britain needed to be partners with the United States for the post world war. He also mentioned the Soviet's influence that had descended on Europe was threatening the safety, and security of the whole continent. This speech ruined the alliance between Stalin, and Churchill and many considered this to be the beginning of the Cold War.
"An Iron Curtain has descended across Europe." -Winston Churchill
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Winston Churchill giving Iron Curtain Speech March 5, 1946.
“Our supreme task and duty is to guard the homes of the common people from the horrors and miseries of another war.” -Winston Churchill
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Churchill spoke about the "Iron Curtain" that had descended on Europe, which was referring to the line that separated Western, and Eastern Europe. Western Europe had political freedom, while Eastern Europe was controlled by the Soviet Union, and Communist one-parties. The "Iron Curtain" served as a wall to keep the East Germans separate from the West Germans. After forty years, on June 27, 1989, the Iron Curtain was finally lifted by Gyula Horn from Hungary, and Alois Mock from Australia. This was the end of the Cold War and the Soviet Union started to fall in 1991. Churchill did not just give an anodyne speech, but he reflected on how The Allies were being betrayed and how the Iron Curtain was rising.