Essay on Post-War Europe: The Marshall Plan and European Division

This essay examines the historical context of the Marshall Plan and its influence on post-war Europe. It argues that the plan marked a point of no return in the division of Europe, rather than initiating it. The essay discusses the aims and contributions of the Marshall Plan, highlighting its role in rebuilding Western European economies and preventing the spread of communism. It explores the political and economic effects of the plan, including its impact on US foreign policy and the onset of the Cold War. The analysis also touches on the Prague Coup, Detente, and the fall of the Berlin Wall, and concludes with an assessment of the plan's long-lasting legacy in the context of European history from 1945 to 1990.

Running head: ESSAY 1
POST WAR
STUDENT DETAILS
12/28/2019

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‘The Marshall plan did not start the division of Europe but marked a point of no return’
In United States, 5th of June 1947 was considered as the remarkable history of USA. Thereafter, it
was known as Western world. Almost fifty years before, George C. Marshall (secretary of state)
declared the European Recovery Program in his speech in the graduation class of the Harvard
University. The European Recovery Program announced by George Marshall was known as
Marshall Plan. The plan declared by George Marshall was successful plan. It made exclusive
history in United States. The Marshall plan defined the firm resolution of the government of
USA for underwriting the financial recovery of the European nations harmed by the presently
finished war as well as feared by the probable development of a global socialism. The
Marshall Plan was planned to enhance the financial conditions of the nations of Western Europe
and, at a similar period, to discourage them from implementing communism. This essay will
argue that the Marshall plan did not start the division of Europe, but remarked the point of no
return. In the following parts, aim of Marshall Plan and contribution of the plan is discussed and
examined.
The Marshall Plan is known as the ‘European Recovery Program’. The Marshall Plan was
considered as the USA program that renders assistance to the Western European nations
adopting desolation of a Second World War. The Marshall Plan was passed in year 1948. This
plan was rendered more than 15 billion dollars to render funds to recreate the effort on the
region. This plan (formally the European Recovery Program) was the American initiatives
enacted in 1948 to help the Western European nations, where USA provided more than 12 billion
dollars (approximately 100 billion dollars in 2018 American dollars) in the financial help to

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recreate the Western European economy after an end of Second World War. The Marshall plan
was the winning plan because it focused on the different objectives to encourage the financial
development of USA. The American investment as well as dollars made the marketplace for
American produced products, assisting to avert the financial recession in the USA after war. It is
a main reason for which this plan is popular plan. Because of this reason, the Marshall Plan is
sometimes known as ‘New Deal for Europe.’ The main aim of the Marshall plan was to establish
the European economies in the mode as to create this simpler to deal1.
This plan was helpful for liberal loan, absolute gift as well as the furnishing of tools of America,
finally amounting to certain thirteen billion dollars (approximately 88.5 billion dollars in the
dollars of present world) tendered to sixteen nations more than 5 years between 1947 and 1952.
In 1948, while Germany became the state, it was involved amongst the receivers or beneficiaries.
It can evident that the Marshall plan was considered as milestone2. However, this was not the
turning point or return point. The huge USA ship of state was previously altering the course.
Prior to two years, the views of residents of United States as well as the government had
reviewed to the Soviet Union as the doctrine ally, still occasionally at the expenditure of Britain.
However, in earlier 1947, Truman management had started to recognize or distinguish the Soviet
Union as the principal opponent of USA in the revolution of international policy, which had not
many precedents in olden times of country. Further, in year 1947, it was remarked by 3
significant occasions. These events include declaration of the Truman principle in March,
promise USA to a defense of Turkey as well as Greece, and declaration of the Marshall plan in
month of June and issuance in July. George F. Kennan was the director of the policy planstaff of
the state department. George F. Kennan described the approach of the Soviet containment. In the
1 Stella Cottrell, The Marshall Plan (USA: Routledge, 2013)
2 Giovanni Farese, The Marshall Plan and the shaping of American strategy (New York: Routledge, 2017)

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fundamental disappearance from the custom of USA, these above mentioned statements stated
that USA was devoted to defend the larger portion of Europe, still in nonexistence of the war.
Therefore, all things are correct. However, it maybe the whit too simple in retrospect3.
Furthermore, the expression ‘the cold war’ did not still available. There was an expectation that
the exact break with Soviet Union leading amongst different things to the enclosed division of
Europe may be ignored. It is suggested by the speech of Marshall that the proposal was open to
certain states of East Europe, as well as maybe to Soviet Union. The main motive for the rare
indistinct liberality was to keep the presence of USA in East Europe, since Marshall plan
addressed for development of ties with USA, involving temporary presence of the management
of USA. This is the reason for which Stalin denied to countenance the Marshall plan from the
initiation. It is another point that Winston Churchill stated that Stalin threatened the western
companionship in excess of the threatened western hostility. Czechoslovakia rendered the matter
in a point4. Besides the ruling by the coalition government, it was still expected by
Czechoslovakia to become the probable connection amid West as well as East. The initial
response of the government of Prague was to take the proposal of a plan of Marshall. Afterwards,
Moscow made order to government to deny this that it did immediately. It did not shock official
in Washington, involving Kennan. In June, the Europe division was already congealing fast. The
iron curtain (phrase initially employed prior to fifteen months by Churchill) was becoming the
actuality. After the 8 month of the declaration made by George Marshall, the communist had
taken over Prague. After coming Russian blockade of the Western Berlin, the concluding
separation of the West Germany from East Germany, as well as creation of NATO in earlier
3 George Capaccio, The Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine (New York: Cavendish Square Publishing, 2017)
4 Robert Schwartz, 26 A World Marshall Plan and Disarmament (New York: Springer, 2016)

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period of 1949. It can evident that the Europe’ partition was unmoved. However, this cold was
still on5.
In addition, the Marshall plan was liberally proposed as well as accepted. However, it was only
limited to the Western Europe. The application of Marshall Plan has been quoted as a starting of
Cold War between the USA and European associates and Soviet Union that had efficiently taken
regulation of much of central as well as Eastern Europe and developed the satellite republic as
communist’s countries. Governmentally, the inheritance of the Marshall Plan debatably states
another story. Provided refusal to take participation on a part of the so called Eastern Bloc of
Soviet state, the initiatives positively covered divisions that were previously beginning to get
root upon region. In this way, the most important outcome of the Marshall Plan was that it
assisted to reinstate the western European country’s economy. This plan was not applicable
everywhere in the world6. In 4 years, the financial recovery or fiscal recovery of Western Europe
was enhancing quickly. There is one significant point to consider that the cost of contribution of
USA for recreating Europe at the time of first critical periods of cold war was about same as
material’s cost it had provided Soviet Union at the time of second world war for helping the
Allied victory. Subsequent to 1947, no any European nation became communists that were
already communists in year 1947. It can say that this situation remained unaltered until the
closure of empire of Soviet East Europe in 1989. However, the financial impacts of the Marshall
plan are not required to be overstated. The main fundamental effects were political effects7. It
was the specific signal of the commitments of USA towards the protection of western European
countries, and to create the existence of America there. There was the usual American proclivity
5 Antonina Habova, Silk Road economic belt: China’s Marshall plan, pivot to Eurasia or China’s way of foreign
policy (USA: Routledge, 2018)
6 Dieter, Stiefel, The Marshall Plan in Germany (Oxford: Oxford University press, 2017)
7 Gunter Bischof, The Marshall Plan in Austria. (New York: Routledge, 2018)

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for overrating the financial elements, engaged with proclivity to consider in the ideological
expressions, to be pre-occupied by a danger of the socialism in place of the presence of
nationalism of Russia, involving the existence of military of Russia in the East European nation.
In spite of success of the Marshall plan as well as of Western European financial recovery, the
ratio of socialist supporters in the nations likes France as well as Italy did not reduce from 1947
to 1953.
Besides this, the plan of Marshall left the more long-lasting inheritance in comparison of the
recovery8. This was one of the methods of democratization of the Western European countries,
resulting into the emulation as well as adoption of concept and institution of America, like
progressive income tax, social protection, and universal education as well as installment
purchasing, all of which resulted into regular homogenization and increasing prosperity of whole
population9. This involved providing credit to the mass, economically as well as otherwise; ‘on
ne prete qu’aux riches (credit is just for rich)’ was not only the French maxim but developed
capitalist approach in Europe in anticipation of year 1948. In year 1950, the common framework
of the western European countries was initiating to be similar to USA. In the present time, the
transformation is greatly made. Additionally, the difference amid USA and different democratic
communities is no more financial or social, but central as well as cultural10.
Moreover, the Truman management was capable to drive the plan of Marshall throughout the
mainly republican Congress in year 1947 to 1948, in which major challengers of the European
Recovery Program were rights-wing republicans, the very persons who blamed or charged
Truman as well as government of becoming soft on communisms. Most of the individuals had
8 John Frieda, The George C Marshall Foundation (Oxford: Oxford University press, 2017)
9 Feina Semon, The International Security (Cambridge: Cambridge University press, 2017)
10 Szabo-Pelsoczi Miklos, The motive of Marshall plan (Oxford: Oxford University press, 2015)

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been isolationists at the time of first year of Second World War and before the Second World
War. Additionally, their transformation to other type of the internationalism was simple11. In year
1956, republican contracting person followed the stage addressing for ‘the development of air
base as well as naval base of USA everywhere in the world12.’ It was offered by the people that
were even that addressed as isolationist by the challengers, incorrectly so13.
In 1947, the Marshall plan was adopted almost after two years by the formation of NATO. It was
adopted because of the benefits, advantages as well as contribution of this plan to the
administrative division of European countries for forty years. In 1989, the cold war as well as
partition of European countries came to the end14. There were certain people who were called for
modern Marshall Plan for the East European countries, may be for Russia. However, it did not
come for the different motives. It can evident that USA was just the financial power in the
sphere. However, after forty years, it was no more. The western European nations were feared by
the probable extension of communism in 1947. In 1947, the international economy was in the
developing level after forty years. The principal investment does not require principal insertion
of the governments. It can see there are also one similarity along with certain differences. It is
not possible to recreate the history. However, there are certain historical situations that can occur
again. A main advantageous outcome of Marshall plan was the assurance of Western Europe
devoted by USA to keep the freedom. In the present time, the American commitments towards
Eastern European country are not strong as well as transparent. This is advised here and there by
11 Gusztav Bager, Global monetary and economic convergence: on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the
Marshall Plan (New York: Routledge, 2018)
12 George Marshall, Marshall Plan Speech by George Marchall (New York: Springer, 2019)
13 Maria Fritsche, The American Marshall Plan Film Campaign and the Europeans: A Captivated Audience?. (UK:
Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018).
14 George Capaccio, The Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine (New York: Cavendish Square Publishing, 2017).

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action of America, as in Bosnia, however this is not the assurance. Up till now this is in an
interest of most of the European nations, involving even Russia that the new division of Europe
is not required to take place. The key instrument for the anticipation can no more be the Marshall
Plan in Eastern European nations. However, this is surely not the addition of the NATO.
As per the above analysis, it can be concluded that the second post-world war reconstruction of
Western European nation was one of the utmost financial approach as well as global policy
success of the century. In addition to the financial re-establishment, one of the stated objectives
of Marshall Plan was to end the supper communism on the land of Europe. It is concluded that
the Marshall Plan is a main substance for a creation of the Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO), the armed alliance amid North American nations and European nations developed in
year 1949. This plan ended the development of Soviet influence in European nation. Moreover, it
also enhanced the control of USA over Latin American economy. The situations placed
on Marshall Plan helped injected free trade approaches as well as programs in European
economic. In conclusion, the aim of Marshall Plan was to establish the economies of Europe in
the manner as to create this simpler to achieve. It is found that the plan was required to make
requirement by spending money of the government. The Marshall Plan was essentially the main
action on a road to a united marketplace of Europe. Therefore, it is concluded that the Marshall
plan did not initiate division of European nations but remarked the point of no turn.

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Bibliography
1. Anton, Pelinka, The successful Marshall Plan (Cambridge: Cambridge University press,
2019)
2. Bager, Gusztav, Global monetary and economic convergence: on the occasion of the
fiftieth anniversary of the Marshall Plan (New York: Routledge, 2018)
3. Bischof, Gunter, The Marshall Plan in Austria. (New York: Routledge, 2018).
4. Capaccio, George, The Marshall Plan and the Truman Doctrine (New York: Cavendish
Square Publishing, 2017).
5. Cottrell, Stella, The Marshall Plan (USA: Routledge, 2013)
6. Dieter, Stiefel, The Marshall Plan in Germany (Oxford: Oxford University press, 2017)
7. Farese, Giovanni, The Marshall Plan and the shaping of American strategy (New York:
Routledge, 2017)
8. Frieda, John, The George C Marshall Foundation (Oxford: Oxford University press,
2017)
9. Fritsche, Maria, The American Marshall Plan Film Campaign and the Europeans: A
Captivated Audience?. (UK: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018).
10. Habova, Antonina, Silk Road economic belt: China’s Marshall plan, pivot to Eurasia or
China’s way of foreign policy (USA: Routledge, 2018)

ESSAY 10
11. Marshall, George, Marshall Plan Speech by George Marchall (New York: Springer,
2019)
12. Miklos, Szabo-Pelsoczi, The motive of Marshall plan (Oxford: Oxford University press,
2015)
13. Schwartz, Robert, 26 A World Marshall Plan and Disarmament (New York: Springer,
2016)
14. Semon, Feina, The International Security (Cambridge: Cambridge University press,
2017)