Why did the two superpowers try to influence the smaller nations during the Cold War ?

Inspite of the fact that the two superpowers with their nuclear weapons and regular armies were stronger than all the power of the smaller states, they tried to influence the smaller nations due to the followingreasons :

(i) To gain access to vital resources, such as oil and minerals.

(ii) To gain access to territory, from where the superpowers could launch their weapons and troops.

(iii) To gain access to locations from where they could spy on each other.

(iv) To get economic support, in that many small allies together could help pay for military expenses.

(v) There was also an ideological reason. The superpowers were winning the War of ideas as well, that liberal democracy and capitalism were better than socialism and communism or vice-versa.