In Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968 Soviet troops had helped crush efforts to loosen Moscow 's grip . `` Iron Curtain '' dividing the Eastern Bloc felt permanent to those who grew up after the Cold War . Former senior correspondent Mikhail Gorbachev covered momentous events of 1990 . Blystone : East-West divide was `` like a long , long overcast day '' Soviet leader Richard Blystone recognized system was `` clapped-out old car ''
`` Iron Curtain '' dividing the Eastern Bloc felt permanent to those who grew up after the Cold War . Former senior correspondent Mikhail Gorbachev covered momentous events of 1990 . Blystone : East-West divide was `` like a long , long overcast day '' Soviet leader Richard Blystone recognized system was `` clapped-out old car ''