Rebuilding+Europe

People Working On This Page: Ihila Lesnikova Jack Taylor Braden Becker Matt Klepinger

After WWII Europe was in ruins. Most of the capital cities were pocketed by bombs and the landscape was strewn with barbed wire and pillboxes. It would take the efforts of both allies and enemies to rebuild Europe.

While many countries helped in the rebuilding of Europe, the United States led the effort. President Truman asked Americans to act generously. He wanted to help everyone recover--even the losing countries. This was the Marshall Plan (named after Secretary of State George Marshall, and Truman knew that it would help improve America's relationships with other countries. Also, America learned from WWI that losing countries were hungry for revenge. Peace and prosperity was needed. By helping countries rebuild, the U.S was healing the scars of war quickly.

The Marshall Plan offered billions of dollars to all recovering countries, although the Soviet Union refused the aid which meant that the countries being occupied by it couldn't receive at either. Europe's free nations could now buy U.S goods. The Point Four was another plan that gave aid to third world countries (developing countries that are poor and less modern) such as Japan. Some people in Asia and Europe thought America wanted something in return. And some Americans didn't want to help former enemies. Not only was the United States trying to put the terrible war behind and move on, but they were trying to improve the countries devastated by it.

The funding of the Marshall plan ended in 1952, but not after the United States had sent over 12 billion dollars to countries left in ruins after the war. The Marshall Plan had helped countries buy bricks and concrete and restore there cities. The Marshall Plan in the long run though did help the US by letting the European countries have access to our products. The 16 countries that received aid from the Marshall Plan. The blue bars stand for the total aid received by countries.

The Truman Doctrine gave money to countries that were being threatened by communism. Threatened countries were eligible for receiving millions of dollars in funding for their armed forces and other needs. This was a way to stop the domino effect and prevent the spread of communism. Immediately after the plan went into effect Greece and Turkey received over 400 million in aid.