Negative Effects Of The Marshall Plan

Europe’s success would not have happened without the initial aid from the United States. Europe was devastated by years of conflict during World War II; millions of people had been killed and wounded. The physical loss of life, the visible destruction of cities, factories, mines, and railroads left Europe in need of aid. The United States came to the rescue and pumped billions and billions of dollars back into the European economy through The Marshall Plan. The Marshall plan also known as the European Recovery Program (ERP) was a United States funded relief package intended to rebuild and assist in the reconstruction of European nations. The end of World War II brought much despair to Europe. The bombings had left European cities badly damaged,
“The world of suffering people looks to us for leadership. Their thoughts, however, are not concentrated alone on this problem. They have more immediate and terribly pressing concerns where the mouthful of food will come from, where they will find shelter tonight, and where they will find warmth. Along with the great problem of maintaining the peace we must solve the problem of the pittance of food, of clothing and coal and homes. Neither of these problems can be solved alone. (DeLong)”. Marshall purposely extended an invitation to the Soviet Union, because not doing so would have been a clear a sign of distrust and would have enhanced the already growing tensions of the war. The initial response of several Eastern European nations to the Marshall Plan was positive. Both the Polish and Czechoslovak governments expressed their interest in assisting in a meeting held in Paris on July 12, 1947. However, not everyone was so willingly open to assist Europe in their time of need; the Russians bitterly denounced the Marshall Plan. Marshall said “Any government which maneuvers to block the recovery of other countries cannot expect help from us” (Heffner). As a result, sixteen nations including Germany became part of the program, and helped shape the aid they required, state by state. The sixteen nations included Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
When the Polish and Czechoslovakian governments expressed their interest in assisting the European Recovery Program the Soviet Union said no. Soviet forces tried to impose a blockade cutting off rail, highway, and water traffic. Their refusal to participate made it easier to secure congressional passage for the plan. By the end of the programs four years, Western European industries were producing twice as much as they had been the year before war broke out. Because most of the resources and goods were purchased with Marshall Plan funds that came from the United States, American exporters and domestic industries benefitted greatly. It allowed the US to recover from a short-term economic slump and enter a period of economic boom. American corporations built networks and trade links in Europe that continued well after the Marshall Plan had run its