AN ANALYSIS OF THE MARSHALL PLAN: ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
AN ANALYSIS OF THE MARSHALL PLAN: ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT

Summary/Abstract: On 5th of June 1947 the Secretary of State George C. Marshall held a speech at Harvard University. On this occasion, he launched the Marshall Plan. This program marked the international politics of the United States and its relations with Europe until the Cold War. His 2-page speech became one of the most famous oratorical moments in the entire American history. In his speech Marshall presented the conclusions of the analysis performed by the US administration of the European crisis. The economic difficulties with which the European states were confronted in the aftermath of the war could not be easily comprehended by the common American people. There were several conditions for the US aid to have the envisaged results: the existence of an agreement among the European states as well as perfect collaboration among these in implementing all the American measures meant to lead to economic reconstruction. However, the authors of the Marshall Plan felt that initiative should come from the European states, America’s role being only to support an European program as long as that would be profitable. Economically, the United States needed a new outlet for its products and free trade and its benefits were the main objective of the Marshall Plan. Once the effects are felt Plan and economic reconstruction falls on a normal track making Europe the most important trading partner of the United States. Marshall Plan was conceived as an economic program but he prevented a political crisis.

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