1. To protect the Soviet Union. Stalin believed that the Soviet Union was vulnerable to attack from the West. He wanted to create a buffer zone of Eastern European countries between the Soviet Union and Western Europe to protect the Soviet Union from future invasions.
2. To spread communism. Stalin was a dedicated communist and believed that communism was the best form of government. He wanted to spread communism to other countries in Europe and around the world.
3. To increase Soviet prestige. Stalin wanted to increase the Soviet Union's power and prestige in the world. He believed that controlling Eastern Europe would give the Soviet Union more influence in international affairs.
4. To gain access to resources. Stalin wanted access to the natural resources of Eastern Europe to help rebuild the Soviet Union after World War II.
Stalin's desire for control of Europe led to the Cold War, a period of tension between the Soviet Union and the United States that lasted from the late 1940s to the early 1990s.