March 5 is the anniversary of Winston Churchill's 1946 Iron Curtain speech

VA Viper ^ | 03/04/2018 | Harpygoddess

[harpygoddess]

March 5th is the anniversary of Winston Churchill's epoch-making "iron curtain" speech in 1946, at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri - the most famous acknowledgement of the existence of a "Cold War" between Russia and the West, which put an end to the alliance that defeated the Nazis in World War II. The Cold War, which would often became quite hot in places like Korea and Vietnam - and damn near led to a nuclear exchange during the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 - continued for 45 years until the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.

"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 S. Churchill (speech, Fulton Missouri, 5 March 1946)

[harpygoddess]

Communism has never come to power in a country that was not disrupted by war or corruption, or both.

~ John F. Kennedy

[Vehmgericht]

This was preceeded by Joseph Goebbels Iron Curtain speech. Churchill and FDR created this distaster. It was as simple as moving some match sticks.

[Vaquero]

Churchill’s hard line ( btw I love Churchill) on Germany at the end of the war ( instigated by 2 socialist American Presidents) where we should have joined forces with the german wehrmacht to whip the Soviet army when we had the chance. Of course after Hitler’s death ( or move to Argentina?). The Soviets killed as many or more people than Hitler. So did Mao and his regime.

The iron curtain was part and parcel with how Britain and the US let the Soviets run rampant. We ignored what the Soviets did where the allies declared war on Germany when they did the very same thing

Patton was right. And he died.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Two years after Mr. Churchill’s speech, America responded with the Marshall Plan.
An incredibly detailed book just released spells out the billions we spent rebuilding Europe and preventing the spread of Communism.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Churchill always knew who his enemy was. As a backbencher in the 30’s he not only warned Britain about Germany but Russia as well. However, as Churchill himself said once when asked about Stalin during WWII, if Hitler had invaded hell, I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the house of Commons. They were under an immediate existential threat from Germany, after Germany foolishly decided to invade Russia of course Churchill would allay with Stalin to save the British Empire.

As for the end of the war, I think you need to put that in context. No one at the time would realize the destruction that would rain on eastern Europe and the coming Soviet Empire. On top of that, we were war weary and had reached our objectives in Europe. The country who had attacked us was still to be defeated and no one knew how long that would take. There was a saying back then, ‘Win the war in 48 and a bread line in 49’. The common thought in April 1945 was that it would still take 3 more years to defeat Japan. All of the troops that did not have enough points to go home were preparing to go to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan. Because of these things, no one thought declaring a new war with Russia was even plausible.

[ealgeone]

One key point in your post illustrates the difference between how the USA, Germany and the Soviets fought the war:

All of the troops that did not have enough points to go home were preparing to go to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan.

Germans and Russians didn't use a point system. You served until you were either dead or the war was over.

Dictators can demand that.

[Bobalu]

Churchill made some powerful speeches.

I paraphrased his famous "Fight On The Beaches" speech to make this meme

[Wuli]

Yet the American Left keeps preaching and indoctrinating the theme that the U.S. “invented” the cold war.

[Wuli]

Individuals can be very different in their ideals and motivations and still share a realistic view of a third party. That shared view of the third party may be all in thought and desire they share in common; regardless of conspiracy theories.

[PlateOfShrimp]

My granddad was on the USSS detail for that conference. Found the official program (containing text of Churchill’s speech) when going through his stuff. Kinda cool.

[Oldexpat]

Fulton is a great place to visit. Much to see.

[Vaquero]

no one thought declaring a new war with Russia was even plausible.

Except Patton. And of course Roosevelt, Truman and certain general officers knew about the Manhattan project.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

Patton was one General out of hundreds. There was no other General that thought it was a good idea at the time, at least on the American side. The German side certainly wanted to do it. However, who is to say we would have had any better chance to succeed where the Germans and before them Napoleon failed?

Yes, the President knew about the Manhattan project. They also knew they only had three bombs (one was used for the test) and there was no guarantee that they would have surrendered after dropping the second bomb. McArthur, Nimitz and the rest were planning an invasion of Japan. It’s a good thing the Japanese didn’t know we only had two bombs. It would have taken a long time, perhaps 6 months or more to build more bombs and the Army and Navy weren’t going to wait around. Besides, Russia was already invading Manchuria and kicking the Japanese out of there. In six months time who knows where they would have been. Perhaps they land on the Japanese soil and they had no qualms about sacrificing soldiers.

[Vaquero]

Two bombs but there were more on the way. We were shoring up supplies as they were being dropped. We’re talking weeks.

The United States expected to have another atomic bomb ready for use in the third week of August [1945], with three more in September and a further three in October. On August 10, Major General Leslie Groves, military director of the Manhattan Project, sent a memorandum to General of the Army George Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, in which he wrote that “the next bomb . . should be ready for delivery on the first suitable weather after 17 or 18 August.” On the same day, Marshall endorsed the memo with the comment, “It is not to be released over Japan without express authority from the President.” There was already discussion in the War Department about conserving the bombs in production until Operation Downfall, the projected invasion of Japan, had begun. “The problem now [13 August] is whether or not, assuming the Japanese do not capitulate, to continue dropping them every time one is made and shipped out there or whether to hold them . . . and then pour them all on in a reasonably short time. Not all in one day, but over a short period. And that also takes into consideration the target that we are after. In other words, should we not concentrate on targets that will be of the greatest assistance to an invasion rather than industry, morale, psychology, and the like? Nearer the tactical use rather than other use.” “