The Fulton speech, also called the “Iron Curtain” speechby Winston Churchill
Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri (USA), March 5 1946
First we have the”Five Ws”.The “Five Ws” are five questions whose answers are considered basic
in information-gathering :
•Who ? •What ? •Where ? •When ? •Why ?
These “Five Ws” are used in journalism, research, and even in police investigations.
Another question is sometimes added : how ? Then, the principle of the “Five Ws” becomes the
principle of the "Five Ws and one H“. As you know this method is called the “Kipling method”.
Who?
Winston Churchill (1874-1965) is a very important British statesman. He was thePrime Minister of
the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945and again from 1951 to 1955.
Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on 10 May 1940, Churchill became Prime
Minister.
His speeches inspired British resistance, especially during the “battle of Britain” and the difficult
days until 1941when the United Kingdom stood almost alone in front of Nazi Germany.
After his party, the Conservative Party, suffered an unexpected defeat in 1945 he became leader
of the Oppositionto the Labour Government.
One year after, Winston Churchill, was invited to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, where
he gave his famous speech in the presence of President Truman.
What?
It is the “Fulton speech” also known as “the Iron Curtain speech” in which Winston Churchill
describes the situation in Europe after World War II and the tensions between the United States
and the Soviet Union:
“From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an Iron Curtain has descended across the
Continent”.
One year later, in 1947, the “Truman Doctrine” and his answer the “Zhdanov Doctrine”
(Zhdanovin English, Jdanovin French) will mark the official beginning or the “Cold War”.
Where?
The speech took place in Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri but the purpose is to speak
about the situation in Europe, its division between the western and the eastern part.
And beyond the situation in Europe there is also the situation of the world during the “Cold War”,
a bipolar world ruled by the USA and the USSR (Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics).
When?
At that time,March 5 1946, the situation in Europe is closely related to the end of the war in
Europe on May 8 1945.
Indeed, the Western part of Europe was liberated by the American troops, the Eastern part was
liberated by the Soviet “Red Army”.
Why ?
At first as we’ve seen Winston Churchill had been beaten by the Labour Party in 1945, he was then
the leader of the opposition. Despite that, he was still an important statesman and this speech
was a very good opportunity for him to prove it.
Besides, Churchill was deeply concerned by the situation and he really wanted to express his
analysis with his great experience of the international relations.
As we know, history has proven him right, the Cold War began one year later in 1947 with the
«Truman Doctrine» and his Soviet answer the « Zhadanov Doctrine ».
About the « Truman Doctrine » and Berlin
The Truman Doctrine was an American foreign policy created to counter Soviet geopolital
expansion after World War II. It was first announced to Congress by President Harry Truman on
March 12, 1947.
The keyword of the Truman Doctrine is the word « containment » and its first illustration is the
Marshall Plan in 1948.
The Marshall Plan
Named after Secretary of State General George Marshall, the goals of the Marshall Plan were to :
- rebuild war-devasted regions
- remove trade barriers
- prevent the spread of communism in the context of the « Cold War »
As we know Berlin is the most important stake in the Cold War because of its situation. Indeed, in
the Soviet zone, Berlin is divided into two parts and four zones.
In the Western part : In the Eastern part : the Soviet zone
- The American zone
- The British zone
- The French zone
The Berlin Blockade : June 1948-May 1949
Thanks to the Marshall Plan the reconstruction of the Western part of Berlin was spectacular
while the Eastern side was still in ruins.
It was seen as a humiliation by the URSS and it’s one of the reason why Stalin wanted to drive out
the Westerners from Berlin.
That situation led to the British blockade (1948-1949) and its failure with the American air bridge
led to the creation of the two Germanys :
- The FRG : Federal Republic of Germany, the West Germany.
- The GDR : German Democratic Republic, the East Germany
The building of the Berlin Wall : August 1961
But after the creation of the two Germanies , the citizens of East Germany (GDR)were numerous
to flee to West Germany (FRG) by West Berlin.
Once again this fact was a humiliation for the URSS and the decision was made to build the famous
Berlin Wall in 1961.
This Wall was built during the night of 12-13 August 1961 under the supervision of the East-
German army.
Of course the Westerners protested again this « wall of shame » and President Kennedy, visiting
West Berlin in June 1963, declared in a very famous speech : « ich bin ein Berliner », « I am a
Berliner ».
The fall of the Berlin Wall : November 1989
In the 1980s, the « arms race » relaunched by the President of the US Ronald Reagan led the
Soviet Union to its ruin.
At the same time the new Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev (Mikhail Gorbatchev in French)
understood the situation and :
- Started the negotiations wich markedd the beggining of the end of the Cold War.
-Introduced a minimum of democracy in the USSR and in the « Satellite countries ».
The decline of the Soviet power and the Gorbachev’s reforms led to democratic movements in
Eastern Europe.
In Poland, in Hungary and most of all in Germany with the fall of the Berlin Walll on 9 November,
1989.
The German reunification is then organized by the Chancellor of the FGR Helmut Kohl and took
place on 3 October 1990.
