What was the Iron Curtain and how did it divide Europe during the Cold War?

What was the Iron Curtain and how did it divide Europe during the Cold War?

The Iron Curtain was a term used to describe the ideological and physical division between Western Europe (under capitalist influence) and Eastern Europe (under communist influence) during the Cold War. It was a metaphorical barrier that represented the political, economic, and military separation between the two sides. The Iron Curtain divided Europe by creating a clear divide between the democratic and capitalist countries of Western Europe and the communist countries of Eastern Europe. This division was reinforced by physical barriers such as border controls, barbed wire fences, and the Berlin Wall, which restricted the movement of people and ideas between the two sides. The Iron Curtain effectively created two separate spheres of influence, with Western Europe aligned with the United States and Eastern Europe aligned with the Soviet Union.