B. By keeping troops in the region and setting up communist governments
After World War II, the Soviet Union, under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, came to dominate Eastern Europe through a combination of military force, political manipulation, and covert operations.
During and after the war, the Soviet Union established military control over much of Eastern Europe, including Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and East Germany. In these countries, Soviet-backed communist governments were established, and local opposition was suppressed through repression and intimidation.
Additionally, Stalin used the Soviet-controlled Communist parties in Eastern Europe to infiltrate and influence government and society, ensuring that the countries of Eastern Europe remained under Soviet control. Stalin also used the presence of Soviet troops in the region to intimidate and coerce other countries into aligning with the Soviet Union.
The Soviet Union also used the establishment of the Warsaw pact as a way to exert influence and control over Eastern Europe countries. The pact was a military alliance of communist states in Eastern Europe, established in 1955 and led by the Soviet Union. The pact provided for mutual defense and military cooperation among its members, and served as a counterbalance to NATO in Western Europe.
Overall, the Soviet Union's domination of Eastern Europe was a complex and multifaceted process, built on a foundation of military force, political manipulation, and covert operations.