Title: For European Recovery (June 23, 1997) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin
Headings: For European Recovery
Exhibition Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Marshall Plan

For European Recovery
Exhibition Celebrates 50th Anniversary of the Marshall Plan
Fears of Communist Domination
Truman Signs the Economic Assistance Act
Leaders of the Marshall Plan
Marshall Plan Countries
A Communist Critique of the Marshall Plan
Soviet Opposition to the Marshall Plan
A Negative View of Aid to Europe
Benefits for the U.S. Economy
Shipping Equipment Abroad Under the Marshall Plan
Stuttgart -- Before and After the Marshall Plan
Establishment of the German Marshall Fund

Content: Although others helped draft the Economic Assistance Act of 1948 that established the ERP, the plan was named for George C. Marshall because of his indispensable role, his influence and his extraordinary prestige in the minds of Congress and the American people. As army chief of staff, he exerted tremendous influence during the war and afterward assumed key civilian posts in the Truman administration. Marshall became secretary of state in 1947 and later served as secretary of defense. For his efforts in reviving Europe, he won the 1953 Nobel Peace Prize, becoming the first professional soldier to receive it. During the four years in which the Marshall Plan was formally in operation, Congress appropriated $13.3 billion. The United States also benefited from the plan by developing valuable trading partners and reliable allies among the West European nations. Even more important were the many ties of individual and collective friendship that developed between the United States and Europe. A cartoon by Edwin Marcus, which appeared in The New York Times, March 14, 1948, focused on the controversy surrounding the plan. - Used by permission of the Marcus family
A milestone in the growth of U.S. world leadership, the Marshall Plan has had far-reaching consequences. In the short run, it relieved widespread privation and averted the threat of a serious economic depression.