Final answer:
The Soviet Union wanted to control Eastern Europe after World War II by establishing one-party communist states, contributing to the division of Europe and the onset of the Cold War.
Step-by-step explanation:
After World War II concluded in 1945, the Soviet Union swiftly positioned itself to control Eastern Europe. Their strategic assertion over these areas was part of a broader objective to spread communism and establish a buffer zone against potential western attacks. The Soviets, under Joseph Stalin's leadership, installed one-party communist states in countries such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria. This establishment of Communist governments, often backed by Soviet military force, cemented the Iron Curtain, which deeply divided Eastern and Western Europe during the post-war years and laid the foundation for the Cold War.