The phrase "iron curtain" referred to the ideological, political, and military boundary that separated the Soviet Union and its satellite states from the rest of Europe during the Cold War. However, there are several other terms to describe this divide. One such phrase is "bamboo curtain," which refers to a similar division between communist China and the rest of the world. Another synonym is "curtain of steel," which is used to describe the same kind of political and military divide that occurred in China during Mao Zedong's rule. Other synonyms for the "iron curtain" include "the Eastern Bloc," "the Soviet Bloc," or simply "The Bloc.