TOW #26: Written - "Sinews of Peace (Iron Curtain Speech)" by Winston Churchill

The craze and chaos due to Communism has terrorized America for about a decade after World War II. As United States's former ally in World War II, the USSR has refused to remove its hold and influence over a part of Germany, America attempted to intervene. The USSR was influencing the surrounding nations as well, such as Poland and potentially Greece and Turkey. With the worry of Communism spreading throughout Europe, western democracies, specifically America and Britain, attempted to preserve and prolong democracy. In Winston Churchill's famous speech, Sinews of Peace, he utilizes a famous metaphor and inclusive diction to advocate a call to action: unite together to achieve peace.

The famous metaphor that Churchill mentions is the comparison of the Communist nations in Europe to an iron curtain; this usage of figurative language shows the invisible potential harm that can be caused due to unawareness, which must be prevented through unification and combined efforts. Churchill states that "in front of the iron curtain which lies across Europe are other causes for anxiety" (1), reflecting the potential dangers that accompany the unknown happening and plannings of Communist nations. In a time where the world is worrisome and suspicious of other nations, due to World War II which ended not long ago, Churchill stresses the potential harm of the lack of democracy via his metaphor.

Throughout Churchill's speech, he continuously uses the words "we" and "our" in order to have an inclusive tone that seems to unite himself not only with the audience, but with all of America. Churchill mentions that "the safety of the world, ladies and gentlemen, requires a new unity in Europe, from which no nation should be permanently outcast" (1), and he displays his attitude towards unity by his diction. With a mindset that already displays unity, Churchill, through his inclusive diction, shows that the nations must stand together to combat against the unknown dangers of Communism while preserving democracy.

The effectiveness of Winston Churchill's rallying speech is evident through the combined efforts of Western democratic nations in the fight for democracy for all. By utilizing a brilliant metaphor and inclusive diction, Churchill is not only able to successfully relay a call to action (to unite together), but also is able to place a sense of responsibility on the shoulders of free nations. Churchill's speech shows that it is in the hands of those who are free to save those who are, apparently, oppressed by the chains of Communism

Source: http://historyguide.org/europe/churchill.html