The term "Iron Curtain" symbolized the ideological division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries during the Cold War era. Coined by Winston Churchill in 1946, it referred to the boundary separating the Soviet sphere of influence from the West. This metaphor signified the political, military, and cultural barriers that arose after World War II, as Eastern European nations fell under communist control, diminishing freedom and democratic governance. The Iron Curtain represented the stark contrast between two opposing ideologies and foreshadowed the conflicts and tensions that defined international relations throughout the Cold War, underscoring the division of Europe.