2.3 What was the Marshall plan? Flashcards
(9 cards)
why did the american government think europe was at risk of communism
extreme political ideas become more popular when people are poor or feel like they have no hope for the future
what was the marshall plan officially called
the European Recovery Program
what did the marshall plan do
provide economic support for the countries of europe as they were rebuilt after the war years, in order to prevent them from becoming communist
what was a requirement for the european countries receiving the money
money should be spent on buying american products
how much money was divided between the countries of europe that accepted aid
$13.15 billion
what were the three key aims of the marshall plan
- the creation of a market for american goods to help the us economy
- to aid the economic recovery of europe, making communism less attractive
- to promote unity in europe, which would halt the spread of communism (part of policy of containment)
who was the plan offered to
- not only western europe, but also those behind the iron curtain
- it was in the USA’s interest for the whole continent to recover economically, and there were also political benefits
was the marshall plan a success
- allowed countries that had been devastated to rebuilt more quickly than would have been possible without it
- american economy benefited from having prosperous countries to trade with
- made communist parties less popular, although they remained very active across western europe
- also brought unity to countries who did not accept aid behind the iron curtain
did the marshall plan just provide financial aid
- no, important equipment and supplies were provided
- us machinery helped to get factories and farms operating again
- nets were provided for fishermen, wool for weavers
