As You Read These Documents, Keep the Following Historical Investigation Question in Mind
As you read these documents, keep the following “Historical Investigation Question” in mind:
“Why did the U.S. fund the Marshall Plan in Europe?”
DOC A: Why does George Marshall think Europe NEEDS this money?
DOC A: Who is Marshall welcoming to take part in this Plan?
DOC A: What are Marshall’s goals?
DOC B: What does the map show about the countries receiving aid?
DOC B: How does the photo of the city show the benefits of the Marshall Plan?
DOC C: What is this political cartoon suggesting about Stalin and European Recovery?
Consider some of the common hypothesis to the “Historical Investigation Question”:
U.S. felt bad that Europe had lost so much in WWII
Europe would buy U.S. products anyway (so the money is coming back)
U.S. saw the restoration of Europe as the only way to achieve a lasting peace
US was afraid that the Soviets would try to intervene and get Western Europe too
On the back of this page, pick one of these hypotheses (or come up with your own) and find evidences in the text to support it.
George C. Marshall, U.S. Secretary of State, initiated a program to aid the economies of European nations devastated by the war. Speaking at Harvard's 1947 graduation, he outlined the program that came to be known as the Marshall Plan.
Doc A: The Marshall Plan speech
I need not tell you that the world situation is very serious. The people of this country are distant from the troubled areas of the Earth and it is hard for them to comprehend the long-suffering peoples.
The truth of the matter is that Europe's requirements for the next three or four years of foreign food and other essential products -- principally from America -- are greater than what she can pay for. She must receive additional help or face economic, social and political deterioration that will be very serious. The remedy lies in breaking the vicious circle and restoring the confidence of the European people in the economic future of their own countries and of Europe as a whole.
It is logical that the United States should do whatever it is able to do to assist in the return of normal economic health in the world, without which there can be no political stability and no assured peace.
Our policy is directed not against any country or doctrine but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can exist. Any government that is willing to assist in the task of recovery will find full cooperation from the United States government. Any government that wants to block the recovery of other countries cannot expect help from us. Governments, political parties, or groups that want to see continued human misery will encounter the opposition of the United States.
The future of the whole world hangs on the realization of the American people, of what are the issues at hand. What are the sufferings? What is needed? What can best be done? What must be done?
Thank you very much, George Marshall
From:
Doc B:
Countries receiving Aid from Marshall Plan (underlined)
Before and After Marshall Plan
Doc C:
from:
As you read these documents, keep the following “Historical Investigation Question” in mind:
“Why did the U.S. fund the Marshall Plan in Europe?”
Doc D: Who is Vyshinski? Compare his view of the Marshall Plan with George Marshall’s view (Doc A).
Doc D: What does “instrument of political pressure” mean?
Doc E: Summarize what Debouzy says in her interview.
Doc F: Interpret what this political cartoon is saying. Who do you suppose drew this?
Doc G: Interpret what this political cartoon is saying. What symbols are being used? What is the main message of this cartoon?
Consider some of the common hypotheses to the “Historical Investigation Question”:
U.S. felt bad that Europe had lost so much in WWII
Europe would buy U.S. products anyway (so the money is coming back)
U.S. saw the restoration of Europe as the only way to achieve a lasting peace
US was afraid that the Soviets would try to intervene and get Western Europe too
On a separate piece of paper, develop two new hypotheses based on the new documents you received (Doc D-G). Provide at least two pieces of evidence to support each hypothesis.
In this speech to the U.N. General Assembly in September 1947, Soviet Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Vyshinsky outlined his government's opposition to the Marshall Plan, resulting in the economic and political division of Europe.
Doc D: Vyshinsky’s Speech in Opposition to the Marshall Plan
The United States attempts to impose its will on other independent states, and uses the economic resources, distributed as relief to individual needy nations, as an instrument of political pressure.
It is becoming more and more evident to everyone that the implementation of the Marshall Plan will mean placing European countries under the economic and political control of the United States and direct interference by the latter [the United States] in the internal affairs of those countries.
Moreover, this plan is an attempt to split Europe into two camps and, with the help of the United Kingdom and France, to complete the formation of a bloc of several European countries hostile to the interests of the democratic countries of Eastern Europe and most particularly to the interests of the Soviet Union.
An important feature of this plan is the attempt to confront the countries of Eastern Europe with a bloc of Western European states including Western Germany. The intention is to make use of Western Germany’s industry as one of the most important economic bases for American expansion in Europe. However this does not regard the national interests of the countries which suffered from German aggression.
Andrei Vyshinsky
From:
Marianne Debouzy was a student in France during the early years of the Cold War. She was interviewed for the CNN series in April 1996.
Doc E: Interview with Marianne Debouzy
On the Marshall Plan:
I had mixed feelings -- and so did many people that I knew -- about the Marshall Plan. We didn't believe in charity on the part of politicians. And most people I knew felt that the generosity of Americans was a self-serving one, in the sense that they thought of Europe as an outlet for their goods, as a market to export stuff. So our view of the Marshall Plan was not a very positive one.
The Marshall Plan appeared to us as both an economic and a political project. An economic project, because Americans were looking for new markets for their products. And a political project, because if they could bring up the living standard in Europe, there's hope that this will be a way to escape communism. People would be more satisfied and less dissatisfied with the present regime and that they wouldn't choose to change things.
The Marshall Plan may not have been responsible for splitting the world, because there were other forces at work that did that. But I think it contributed to deepening the gap between East and West.
from <
Doc F:
American diplomat George Kennan Playing Chess
from:
------
Political Cartoon from Soviet Newspaper about Marshall Plan
from:
Name: ______
“Historical Investigation” Write-Up
My best hypothesis about why the US funded the Marshall Plan in Europe is…
______
______
______
______
Two pieces of evidence that make me believe this are… (use evidence from documents)
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
One possible argument against my hypothesis would be… (use evidence from documents)
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______