Iron Curtain Speech

Winston Churchill became a member of Parliament in 1901, first Lord of Admiralty in 1911, and served as the head of the Navy through World War I. He next became Secretary for War and Air during 1919-1921, Chancellor of the Exchequer (the British equivalent of the Treasury department) during 1924-1929, again the First Lord of the Admiralty during 1939-1940, and then prime minister during 1940-1945.

As prime minister, Churchill had plenty of exposure both personally and professionally to Joseph Stalin, leader of Communist Russia. Joseph Stalin, part of the leadership of the Communist party since the Russian revolution that began in 1917, became leader of the USSR in 1924. He remained the head of the country until his death in 1953. Under his rule, the Communists strove to spread the Communist ideology throughout the world, perceiving capitalism and democracy as their enemies. In the decades prior to World War II, Churchill became aware of Russia’s philosophies and political intentions regarding their place and ambitions toward Europe and the rest of the world. Churchill actively worked against Russia’s military expansionism, which was tempered only after Hitler invaded Russia during World War II. At this point, Russia joined the allies to defeat Germany.