Handout: The Iron Curtain, NATO and the Warsaw Pact
by Stuart MacGillivray

Iron Curtain
*	The Iron Curtain was the division between Communism and the rest of the world.  NOT a physical barrier.
*	The phrase “Iron Curtain” was coined by Winston Churchill.
*	The divider followed the borders of the most Western Communist countries (East Germany, Czechoslavia, Hungary, Yugoslavia)
*	Yugoslavia was Communist, but not Stalinist; they didn’t like the Russians. much.
Significance:	*	The Iron Curtain was a divider between the two halves of Europe.
		*	The Western Powers lumped all Communists into one category.
		*	Germany was severely split.

The Split
*	Eastern and Western Europe became separated due to conflicting ideas (Communism vs. Capitalism)
*	At the Yalta Conference, Stalin managed to get the chance to “restore” Poland, Czechoslavia, et cetera.
*	At the later Potsdam conference, Roosevelt is dead and Churchill has been kicked out.  Stalin beats down the two “rookies”, and gains more power.
*	Germany split between the victors; though Berlin is in Russian territory, it is split between the four, as well.
Significance:	*	Stalin gets control over most of the occupied territories.
		*	Russia now has a great amount of power.
		*	The alliance is slowly breaking up.
		*	Prelude to the Cold War

NATO
*	Military defensive alliance, originally just England and France, but grew to include all non-Communist European countries (except for Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain), plus the United States and Canada.
*	Started in 1949; signed in Washington; HQ is located in Paris (at beginning).
*	Has armies, and American atomic bombs.
*	Fortifies Borders near Iron Curtain.

The Warsaw Pact
*	Military alliance, allows Russia to place troops in any countries, for “defense”.
*	Signed in 1955, with all Communist countries except Yugoslavia.
*	Has army, and recreates atomic bombs for themselves.
*	Fortifies borders near Iron Curtain

Significance for both: *	Alliances causing Europe to break into two camps again.
		*	Both sides building Military power
		*	Both camps have major destructive power (Atom Bomb)
		*	Both sides waiting for an attack; Cold War.