Overview of the Marshall Plan

Throughout history America has always been known as being one of the first countries to step in to help or fix a problem. This was the same case when it came to the Marshall Plan. Although many may say the Marshal Plan is another example of imperialism in the guise of help, this is not the case because was it fulfilling its moral responsibility to help those in need.

World War II was a devastating war that lasted from about 1939 to 1945. When many think of World War II, they think of the devastation until the end of the war, but the truth was that the aftermath of the war in Europe was tremendous; millions of people dead and thousands left homeless, hungry, and unemployed. Factories, railroads, bridges, electric power plants, and water systems were damaged and/or destroyed. Farmers suffered from drought and when they brought their products to market, city dwellers could not afford to buy their produce ("The Marshall Plan for Rebuilding”). In Keith Lowe’s book Savage Continent: Europe in the aftermath of World War II he describes the aftermath by saying

Imagine a world without institutions. No governments. No school or universities. No access to any information. No banks. Money no longer has any worth. There are no shops, because no one has anything to sell. Law and order are virtually non-existent because there is no police force and no judiciary. Men with weapons roam the streets taking what they want. Women of all classes and ages prostitute themselves for food and protection (Lowe).

Europe needed help and assistance to get back on their feet. (Many other countries were limited in their ability to render assistance due to their involvement in the war and the physical devastation as a result of war. The United States also was...

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