Who created the phrase "Iron Curtain"?

The phrase "Iron Curtain" was coined by Winston Churchill in a speech he delivered on March 5, 1946, at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. This phrase symbolically represented the division between Western democracies and Eastern communist countries following World War II. Churchill used it to describe the ideological and physical barrier that separated the Soviet bloc from the West, marking the beginning of the Cold War era. His speech highlighted the tensions and the geopolitical landscape of post-war Europe, prompting discussions about the need for strong Western alliances in the face of Soviet expansionism. This context is crucial, as it underscores the significance of the phrase not just as a rhetorical device, but as a reflection of the realities of international relations at the time.