Final answer:
The Berlin Wall was created in 1961 to halt the movement of East Germans to the West, symbolizing the Cold War division. It was not for tourism control or defense but reflected East Berlin's economic issues due to brain drain and became a sign of communist oppression before its fall in 1989.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Berlin Wall was a militarized barrier that was created to prevent the exodus of residents from Soviet-controlled East Berlin to the more prosperous West Berlin. Erected in 1961 under Soviet direction, the wall served to stop the migration of East Germans to the West, and was not constructed to stop tourist traffic or as a national defense against attacks. The Soviet Union's installment of the Berlin Wall was seen largely as a response to the significant number of East Germans, including many skilled laborers and professionals, who were leaving the Soviet-dominated East Berlin for opportunities in the West, thereby exacerbating East Berlin's economic struggles.
Over time, the Berlin Wall became a symbol of the ideological and physical division of the Cold War, representing the wider divide between the communist East and the capitalist West. The West used the image of the Berlin Wall to argue for the superiority of the capitalist system, asserting that their societies didn't require barriers to keep their citizens from fleeing. Eventually, the Berlin Wall was brought down in 1989 following a series of peaceful protests and political changes within East Germany and other Eastern Bloc countries, marking a significant moment in the decline of Communism and the eventual end of the Cold War.