Marshall Plan
The United States resolved to assist Europe after World War II rather than retreat across the Atlantic as it did following World War I. Thus, in 1948, the United States launched a multibillion-dollar plan to provide aid to any European country trying to rebuild its economy. The Marshall Plan was not merely charity: it was a cornerstone of U.S. Cold War strategy. The United States believed that Europe’s physical, economic, and political collapse made it vulnerable to encroaching Soviet influence. In providing aid, the United States sought to stave off the spread of communism while shoring up its democratic allies. Sure enough, each of the sixteen west European countries that accepted funds experienced rapid economic recovery and deepened relations with the United States. The Soviet Union and east European countries, on the other hand, rejected the aid, fearing it would give the United States influence over their economies. Instead, the Soviet Union offered east European countries aid through an initiative known as the Molotov Plan. The USSR also created the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) to coordinate its bloc’s economic development.