Initially the USA were committed 3. The USA’s Involvement in Europe US a
towards the reconstruction and
democratisation of Europe
There is no suggestion that the USA
The Launch of the Marshall Plan
envisaged any long-term military or
political engagement with Europe In May 1947 as under secretary of state for economic affairs Clayton returned from Europe. He
There was also no indication that the concluded that a failure to revive the economies of Western Europe
USA regarded Europe as a springboard He predicted the loss of a market for American goods leading to unemployment in the USA
for Global power Also, in May 1947 Kennan’s Policy Planning Staff (PPS) group stated that it didn’t regard communist
In July 1945 assistant secretary of state activities in Europe was the problem
Acheson warned that Europe posed a For the PPS the real problem was the impact of the 2 nd world war upon the economic, political and
wider threat to capitalism and to social structure of Europe
international stability The PPS stated that US aid should focus on the economy rather than combating communism
Acheson argued that the railway and 5th June 1947 Marshall revealed his plan known as the European recovery plan (ERP)
power systems had collapsed and the Over 5 years, the Marhsall plan provided $13.5 billion to 16 countries across Europe, aid was also
financial systems that come to a given through goods
standstill A condition of receiving aid was that some of it had to be spent on importing goods from the USA
William L Clayton in May 1947 stated Recipients were also required to share economic information with the USA this was in line with
that Europe was deteriorating as millions containment
of people faced starvation, he argued The American vision for Europe was the creation of a single European market, historians argue the
that aid from the USA was needed Marshall plan helped this
By 1947 the US strategic plan on Europe This leads to the creation of the European economic community from 1957
was focused on ensuring economic The USA were afraid the economic depression would cause the countries to elect a communist
recovery post WW-2 and unity leader who would fall under soviet influence
By 1947 the USA had reached the In France the French communist party had 1.7 million members in 1947; to achieve stability as
conclusion that only western Europe Europe became more communist, the Marshall plan was offered to all of Europe
could be in their influence, so Europe The soviets saw the Marshall plan as American economic Imperialism and in 1947 Czechoslovakia
was divided and Hungary weren’t under communist control, they showed interest in receiving aid which would
The USA’s route intro Europe came have led to the restoration of European markets
through its special relationship with In July 1947, the Soviet Union walked out of the Paris peace conference and by September had
Britain established Cominform
Britain was more stable than other The USSR were clear on the Marshall plan and satellite states considering receiving aid were ordered
states and through a desire to preserve to reveres their decisions by Stalin
its international status Britain agreed The Marshall plan then can be considered to have accelerated the divisions of eastern Europe
mutual support to the USA