Iron Curtain (theory)

The Iron Curtain was a metaphor used during the Cold War to describe the ideological and physical division between Western Europe, aligned with democracy and capitalism, and Eastern Europe, dominated by communist regimes under Soviet influence. It symbolized the suppression of travel, communication, and political freedom between these regions, effectively creating a barrier that separated East and West both literally—in terms of border defenses—and figuratively, in terms of conflicting political ideologies. The term highlights how the Cold War era was marked by a stark divide, limiting interaction and fostering suspicion between the two blocs.