Final answer:
The Iron Curtain was created to extend and maintain communist influence, serve as a boundary restricting movement and information, and symbolize the ideological divide that led to the Cold War.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Iron Curtain was created for several reasons following the end of World War II. Firstly, it represented a physical and ideological barrier designed to spread the influence of communism throughout Eastern Europe, which was under the control of the Soviet Union. Secondly, it served as a tool for the USSR to maintain control over the Eastern Bloc by restricting the flow of information and movement, effectively keeping people in rather than keeping others out. Thirdly, it symbolized the division between the democratic nations of the West and the communist countries of the East, marking the start of the Cold War and illustrating the stark contrasts between the two opposing ideological systems. The Iron Curtain and the ensuing Cold War shaped the political landscape of the 20th century until its end with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.