THE FEARFUL FIFTIES
- Berlin Airlift
- Iron curtain
- Bomb Shelters
Although they were allies during WWII, it was just a
matter of time before the political systems of the Soviet
Union and the United States would clash.
Once the dust had settled, it became increasingly clear
how different their goals would be for the future of
Europe. The United States was determined to assist
countries throughout Europe and form democratic
governments through free elections.
how different their goals would be for the future of
Europe. The United States was determined to assist
countries throughout Europe and form democratic
governments through free elections.
On the other hand, the Soviet Union was more
concerned about defending its borders against any
future attack from Western Europe.
future attack from Western Europe.
As a result, the countries along the Soviet Union’s
border came under control of the Soviets and soon
thereafter established communist governments.
border came under control of the Soviets and soon
thereafter established communist governments.
From the Soviet point of view, these communist countries were to serve as a buffer zone (a neutral zone between two hostile nations) between the powers of the west and the Soviet Union. The western powers didn’t see it that way at all.
Winston Churchill, the prime minister of Great Britain, called the buffer zone by another name—the “Iron Curtain.” In his words, Churchill famously warned against communist expansion claiming that “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."
View the two images below. One is a map and the other is a political cartoon. Respond to the challenges that follow.
A Map of the “Iron Curtain”
A Political Cartoon of the “Iron Curtain”
Source:IronCurtaincartoon, jspivey, Wikispaces
Check out this interactive website about the Iron Curtain.
Comment on the blog and answer the following two questions:
- In the cartoon above, do you think the “iron curtain” is designed to keep people out or keep people in?
- Why do you think the artist added railroad tracks to the cartoon? In other words, what message is the artist trying to communicate?
I think, based on the cartoon, that it was designed to keep people out. What I think the railroad is saying is the 'trail ends here.' No one was allowed to enter from this border into Russia. You can see Winston Churchill with a frustrated look on his face, trying to get in, but he's blocked out.
ReplyDeleteI believe, from the cartoon above that the Iron Curtain is to keep people in and under their control. I also believe the cartoonist added the railroad in the portrait because he was saying that communication was ending here. I think that the railroad represents ways of communication, and the train acted as the people trying to communicate. The wall clearly represents separation from the communication.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts! I didn't think about it that way.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI assume, based on the cartoon, that the iron curtain is supposed to keep people out because the curtain says no admittance. I think the reason the artist added the railroad tracks is to state that they cut off access and to emphasize how they wanted to keep people from entering.
ReplyDeleteI think the Iron curtain was there to keep people that was inside the curtain inside and the people out side it out, in order for Russia to have complete control over Berlin.
ReplyDeleteThe artist idea, well what I interpreted of what he meant was that the Russians cut off all the supply routes too berlin in order to starve them into submission. ( It was not very kind of them )
ReplyDelete1. I think the iron keratin was to keep everybody out but also to keep everybody in that it was to keep
ReplyDelete2. i think is trying to tell people the fact of how he caught off all supplies and food to that town.
I think that, in the cartoon, the “iron curtain” is designed to keep people out. Why do I think this? I think this because on the picture it says no admittance. I think the artist added railroad tracks to emphasize that the supplies to Berlin were cut off and that Russia had complete control of the border.
ReplyDeleteIn this cartoon it shows the wall keeping people out though in reality it both kept people in and out. The railroad track might represent a time when both parties are able to move in and out of the country freely but are unable to.
ReplyDeleteBased on the cartoon and frustrated look on Winston Churchills' face, i think that the "iron curtain" was designed to keep people out and that the railroad tracks were added to represent how freely traveling in and out was no longer available and that the road ended there; they could not go beyond that point, on either side.
ReplyDeleteI think that the cartoon was saying that the wall was keeping people out. I think the artist added the railroad to say that no one could get out or in. That all connections to the outside world had been terminated
ReplyDeleteI believe that it was supposed to keep people in and out but W. Churchill explained it was meant to keep people out. And for the second question, I think that they put the railroad tracks on the illustration because it showed how some paths were split in half and one side was kept behind the Iron curtain, and the other more free.
ReplyDeleteFrom my interpretation of the cartoon, and the knowledge of communist ways, I think the Iron Curtain was made to keep its people in.
ReplyDeleteThe Railroad tracks in my interpretation probably signify how the iron curtain blocks the idea of democracy and other western influences from entering the communist world. Communism is a tyrannical government, that is ran by one person. And as Thomas Jefferson said "A Government who governs best...governs least" and "The only bad kind of government is too much government" and Communism is too much government.
1) Based on the cartoon above, I think the “iron curtain” is designed to keep people out since the sign says "No admittance"
ReplyDelete2) I think the artist added railroad tracks to the cartoon to show that that was "the end of the road" so to speak and to emphasize the point that no one comes in and not one gets out.
1 I think the iron curtain is supposed to keep in because the communists would probably like to grow not restrain themselves by keeping people out and they probably are thinking like 'you cant take our communist people we will keep them safe from you evil democracy people'
ReplyDelete2 I think the railroads indicate they literally built with no care of getting things in or out and that this was once a place you could roam free but now its not because communists make the orders and have no freedom of walking where they want or any freedom at all