Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan The Marshall Plan was a strategically devised program by the U.S. to sustain communist influence and without it Europe would have never recovered as well as it did economically, industrially, and politically.
The Marshall Plan was an audacious decision by the U.S. in order to suppress the spread of communism after the devastations of World War II. The United States needed to substantially aid non-communist countries to stop the spread of Soviet influence so “Marshall had traveled to Europe, where he witnessed first-hand the devastation and economic damage caused by World War II” (Schaff). The Marshall plan was born from the need to feed the hungry and to prevent communism spreading over Europe. Marshall was convinced that the only hope for Europe to thrive economically was to intervene and influence democracy as opposed to communism. Germany was especially vulnerable because it was faced with economic limitations imposed by the allied victors. Not only was Democratic prestige a pursuing factor of the Marshall Plan but also “Marshall suggested enormous financial assistance was the moral obligation of the stronger and wealthier United States” (Schaff). Although not directly stating America’s attempt to rule out communist influence in Europe, the Marshall Plan was against poverty and hunger from the devastations of WWII. Marshall’s speech, addressed at Harvard University on June 1947, did not contain any anti-communist rhetoric statements. Instead, he focused on the urgent need to help Europe recuperate. America intended that Europe carry out the plan themselves, only requiring the financial aid the U.S. would provide.
The recovery plan benefited parts of Europe such as Greece, Germany, France, Italy and other smaller nations by unifying them economically with each other and America. Slowly but surely progress began and "The vision of a new Europe, economically strong, unified as it had never been before, standing resolutely in the ranks of the
The Marshall Plan was an audacious decision by the U.S. in order to suppress the spread of communism after the devastations of World War II. The United States needed to substantially aid non-communist countries to stop the spread of Soviet influence so “Marshall had traveled to Europe, where he witnessed first-hand the devastation and economic damage caused by World War II” (Schaff). The Marshall plan was born from the need to feed the hungry and to prevent communism spreading over Europe. Marshall was convinced that the only hope for Europe to thrive economically was to intervene and influence democracy as opposed to communism. Germany was especially vulnerable because it was faced with economic limitations imposed by the allied victors. Not only was Democratic prestige a pursuing factor of the Marshall Plan but also “Marshall suggested enormous financial assistance was the moral obligation of the stronger and wealthier United States” (Schaff). Although not directly stating America’s attempt to rule out communist influence in Europe, the Marshall Plan was against poverty and hunger from the devastations of WWII. Marshall’s speech, addressed at Harvard University on June 1947, did not contain any anti-communist rhetoric statements. Instead, he focused on the urgent need to help Europe recuperate. America intended that Europe carry out the plan themselves, only requiring the financial aid the U.S. would provide.
The recovery plan benefited parts of Europe such as Greece, Germany, France, Italy and other smaller nations by unifying them economically with each other and America. Slowly but surely progress began and "The vision of a new Europe, economically strong, unified as it had never been before, standing resolutely in the ranks of the