The Marshall Plan June 1947
What was it? June , US Secretary George C. Marshall gives speech Economic assistance for European countries to help them rebuild after damages faced in WWII. The USA would provide these countries with grants and loans to help them rebuild The Marshall Plan and European Recovery Program (ERP) was offered to all countries around Europe, including the Soviet Union
Impact and Outcomes The Soviets rejected the plan and pressured other Eastern European countries to do the same The Soviet was not keen on the thought of providing such economic assistance to Germany, the enemy which had recently invaded the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa 1941) The pressure was successful and none of the Soviet satellites participated in the Marshall Plan
The Soviet claimed that the Marshall Plan was really just “a plan for interference in the domestic affairs of other countries” However, the US ignored Soviet action and successfully established the Marshall Plan in 1948, providing funds for other countries
The US argued that this was another indication from the Soviet to isolate Eastern Europe from the West and enforce its communist and totalitarian policies in that region However, from the Soviet’s perspective their intention to isolate Eastern Europe to the West was due to it’s desire to be free from American “economic imperialism” and domination Indicated that the Cold War tension between US and Russia were intensifying Conclusion