The Iron Curtain was a conceptual barrier erected by the Soviet Union after World War 2 to seal off itself and its dependent Central-Eastern European allies from open contact with the West and non-communist areas. The term Iron Curtain had been an occasional and varied use as a metaphor since the 19th century. Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill first use the term during a speech in the US on March 5th, 1946.

Political cartoon referencing the Iron Curtain