Marshall War Case Study

- According to Marshall, after World War II, in addition to physical loss and the visible destruction of cities, factories, mine and railroads, the main problem that face Europe was the “ dislocation of the entire fabric of European economy,” that is, there was a complete “ breakdown of the business structure of Europe”, which seriously overwhelmed the national economy. For instance, there was no food and fuel for the city dwellers since there was no good to give in exchange to the farmers. That is to say, there was not an effective division of labor.
- Marshall proposed as an urgent solution to provide substantial help to Europe in addition to its capacity to pay for foreign food and good so to avoid an “economic, social and political deterioration of a very grave character.”
How much American self-interest is involved in the program Marshall proposes? What concrete benefit, beyond not having another war, can you see in this plan?

- At first glance, we can believe that this program did not involve American self-interest if one could really believe Marshall when he declared that "the political passion and the prejudices should have no role" in this program. The only interest of the United States we can pursue, according to Marshall, is "to do everything in his power to contribute to the return to normal economic health in the world", by a “policy directed not against a country or a doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, despair and chaos.”
- Beyond not having another war, Marshall's plan has brought many benefits, including the suppression of communist spread belonging to the Soviet Union, the revival of the European economy, the creation of an economy unified world. In addition, the United States has also benefited from this plan. For instance, it has been a fast-growing US export economy and economic and ties with European countries. It became more economically and politically powerful.

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