Title: The Marshall Plan Speech: Rhetoric and Diplomacy – America in Class – resources for history & literature teachers from the National Humanities Center
Headings: The Marshall Plan Speech: Rhetoric and Diplomacy
The Marshall Plan Speech: Rhetoric and Diplomacy
What rhetorical and diplomatic challenges did Secretary of State George Marshall face as he delivered his 1947 Marshall Plan speech?
Understanding
Text
Text Type
Text Complexity
Teacher’s Note
Teacher’s Guide
Background
Background Questions
Text Analysis
Introduction
Note
Narrative or Statement of Facts
Close Reading Questions
Argument
Close Reading Questions
Rebuttal
Close Reading Questions
Conclusion
Note
Follow-Up Assignment
Vocabulary Pop-Ups

Content: Marshall was well-positioned to lead this effort as a revered wartime leader who was not considered a partisan of either political party. His brief speech at the Harvard commencement activities on June 5, 1947, described in simple blunt terms the problems of Europe and a possible solution to them. While Marshall and his advisors crafted the speech primarily for the American public and for Congress, they had two other audiences in mind. The Plan required the cooperation of the people of Europe. In the speech Marshall sought to demonstrate that he and President Truman understood their plight and stood ready to help. However, he had to assure them that America did not intend to impose a solution but rather would assist in implementing remedies of their own design. Then there was the Soviet Union. The Plan was open to the Soviets, but they refused to participate, denouncing it instead as an American scheme to take over Europe. In his speech Marshall had to reassure the Soviets that the Plan did not threaten them, but he also had to assert that it would go ahead despite their opposition. The administration’s campaign of persuasion worked.