On this day 77 years ago, Winston Churchill delivered one of the most memorable and important speeches of his career. He did so here at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

From America's heartland, Churchill issued a stern warning about the threat of Soviet Russian expansion: "From Stettin in the Baltic, to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the continent." With those words, Churchill changed the course of history. "The Sinews of Peace" offered a blueprint for how the West might wage, and ultimately win, the Cold War.

At a time when the phrase "iron curtain" and the idea of Russian aggression leap from pages of history into today's headlines, I invite you to examine and explore Churchill's famous speech anew. I encourage you to do so in the best way possible: by reading and listening to Churchill in his own words.

"The Sinews of Peace"

by Winston Churchill

On behalf of the everyone here at America's National Churchill Museum and Westminster College, thank you for your continued support of the Museum, its mission, and its purpose.

Your investment in our history sustains and strengthens our future.

Timothy Riley

Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator,

Churchill Fellow

America's National Churchill Musuem at Westminster College