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George C. Marshall 1880-1959
General George C. Marshall was U.S. chief of staff in
World War
II.
From 1947 to 1949, Marshall was the U.S. Secretary of State.
From 1950 to 1951, Marshall was the U.S.
Secretary of Defense.
In 1953, George C. Marshall received the
Nobel Prize for
Peace.
THE MARSHALL PLAN
On June 5, 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marshall delivered his
Marshall Plan speech
at Harvard University.
This speech recommended U.S. aid for
European countries so that their economy could get back on its feet
after the Second World War.
Of course, the U.S. had a political interest in the
matter. A stabilized western Europe, so the idea, would be much
better equipped to resist communist influence and power.
President Truman, who had already announced similar action
in his
Truman
Doctrine, was delighted.
The Marshall Plan grew into what became
officially the European Recovery Program and the entire thing became law on
April 3, 1948.
From April 1948 to December 1951 western
Europe received a gigantic financial boost that, all in all, was
worth around 13 billion USD.
What exactly is
communism?
See also the
American Timeline.
More History
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