Historical Dictionary of International Relations by Peter Lamb Fiona Robertson-Snape

Author:Peter Lamb,Fiona Robertson-Snape
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: undefined
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
Published: 2012-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

MARSHALL PLAN

Europe was devastated by World War II; the Marshall Plan was the means through which the United States aided Europe’s reconstruction. George C. Marshall, U.S. secretary of state, made a speech at Harvard University in 1947 where he proposed his plan to provide stability in Europe. He emphasized the importance of a return to “normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace.” The United States was to assist Europe, demonstrating its leadership in the creation of the postwar liberal order. The Marshall Plan was part of U.S. policy to restrict the spread of communism. By strengthening its allies in Europe, the United States hoped to contain the emerging communist threat from the Soviet Union. The U.S. government therefore provided $11.8 billion in grants and $1.5 billion in loans to assist in the rebuilding of European economies and national infrastructure between 1948 and 1952. It was available to all European states, including the Soviet Union and Eastern European states. However, conditions attached to the aid—such as the liberalization of economies and free trade—meant that the Eastern bloc could not accept the offer. The Soviet Union considered the United States’ decision to implement the plan despite objections from the East as evidence of its willingness to divide Europe. The Marshall Plan therefore contributed to the drawing of what British prime minister Winston Churchill had described as the “iron curtain” descending across Europe. The strong leadership of the United States in aiding the reconstruction of Europe strengthened its relations with Western European states, facilitated the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and identified the United States as the leader of the Western alliance with hegemonic power within the western hemisphere throughout the ensuing Cold War.

See also ; ; ; ; .

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