The second issue, in which history has vindicated Churchill's vision, is the eventual communist control of large chunks of Europe. Churchill was an early and vociferous opponent of communism seeing in it an enemy of freedom and participatory democracy. Churchill is often criticized for his dealings with Stalin, however, as having compromised his principles in order to secure the alliance. What is remarkable is that Churchill was able to realize that Hitler was the more immediate threat and that Russia's help was indispensable to the war effort. Churchill understood that communism was a dangerous and destructive force but he also knew that Russian Communism was also a mix of traditional Russian imperialism and revolutionary fervor. He also knew that the Soviet Union was weak and unstable, and therefore less an immediate threat. Chruchill knew that Hitler was capable of controlling all of Europe whereas the Soviet Union would end up with half of Europe at best; it was a risk he was willing to take. When Hitler attacked the Soviet Union he accepted Stalin as part of the coalition. Looking back it is clear that the Soviet People played a crucial role in the defeat of Hitler. Their sacrifice is mind boggling with the deaths of soldiers and civilians in the millions.

What Churchill sought to do, however, once he realized the war could eventually be won, was to seek to keep Stalin from controlling large parts of Europe. Where he failed was in convincing President Roosevelt to adopt this strategy. FDR believed that he could handle old Uncle Joe and that these pesky issues would be best left until after the war. Churchill, however, knew that whatever territory Stalin reached on his way to Germany was territory he would control. Churchill worked throughout the war to get allied troops to occupy territory farther east. He worked diligently to save Poland, the country for which England had gone to war. The intransigence and stubbornness of the Polish exiles combined with Stalin’s treachery kept Churchill from achieving his goal. Eventually, out of desperation he even tried to divide up Central and Eastern Europe with Stalin in his famous "percentage agreement." This may seem like cold-hearted Realpolitik but it is actually a desperate attempt to salvage whatever he could from Stalin's grasp. Again, after all was said and done Churchill could not prevent the Iron Curtain (in his memorable phrase) from falling. But it most be remembered that he did save Greece from communist control and that the state of Poland did continue to exist (historically its existence was precarious). A heavy historical burden rests on Roosevelt (and future President Eisenhower) for their inability to see that they were consigning large parts of Europe to the terror of Soviet control with their unwillingness to confront Stalin when the end of the war was in sight. In his fight with Hitler Churchill was able to rally the world to his side and stay the course. In his battle with communism, however, Churchill's success was less clear. He wasn't able to convince the United States to push farther east as WW II drew to a close and he wasn't able to strengthen Roosevelt's resolve to confront Stalin more directly. He never quit addressing the problem, however, even in the last days of his public life he was searching for a way to take advantage of Stalin's death and break the division of Europe. His famous speech in Fulton Missouri bequeathed the term "Iron Curtain" to the world and in many ways stiffened the West to contain and oppose the Soviet Union. Churchill would not live to see a unified Europe but he inspired a great many people to work towards that end.