How did The Iron Curtain speech by Winston Churchill's cause the Cold War?

Question

Just some reasons that it help cause the Cold War. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Churchill's speech recognised that the Soviet Union was creating an Eastern bloc, in which the Soviets would dominate politically, socially, and culturally. In this bloc, the Soviets would expand communism throughout Eastern Europe.

Chuchill recognised that with the Berlin blockade and the building of the Berlin Wall, the Soviet Union was saying to the West that the East was the Russian sphere of influence, and that the West was not invited to participate in any way shape or form in the politics of Eastern Europe.

But Churchill's speech was very important in framing a Western response to Soviet domination - Churchill recognised that the Soviet union was no longer acting in co-operation with the West for the benefit of Europe - but was dividing Europe into two blocs - Capitalism vs Communism.

Chuchill was basically saying - the Soviet Union and communism is now the enemy of those who love freedom and democracy, and that the Soviet Union stood in defiance and contempt of the values that the West stood for.

It was with this speech that the Western powers took steps for a prolonged campaign to defeat communism not only in Europe, but recognised communism and soviet influence as a world wide danger.

Answer 2

"From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an IRON CURTAIN has descended across the Continent. Behind that line lie all the capitals of the ancient states of Central and Eastern Europe. Warsaw, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Belgrade, Bucharest and Sofia, all these famous cities and the populations around them lie in what I must call the Soviet sphere, and all are subject in one form or another, not only to Soviet influence but to a very high and, in many cases, increasing measure of control from Moscow. Winston Chrchill The focal point of the cold war. Europe, still recovering from the Second World War was not in a position to take a leader role in warding off Soviet Hegemony. The reliance on the US to provide that security has led the US to be the only super power left on the planet. No wonder that Europeans and Russians are bitter about it.

Answer 3

The USSR occupying Eastern Europe and using it as a buffer zone was a greater cause of the Cold War than Churchill's speech...

Answer 4

It didn't. The USSR's decision to close the borders, dividing eastern from western Europe, caused the Cold War. Churchill just named the phenomenon.

Answer 5

WC's speech did not cause the cold war; it only announced to the West that, whether they knew it or not, they were in it.

Answer 6

It didn't. It had already started

Brian T - The Berlin Wall was built by the East Germans many years later.

Answer 7

A line of communism that should not be spread anymore. Remember it is iron... not movable easily, but a curtain is...

Answer 8

It didn't; the speech was a description of policy whose implementation was already underway...

Answer 9

It didn't. Russian intransigence did