The Marshall Plan
- This PDF gives the historical and societal relevance of the Marshall Plan, which was enacted by the USA in 1948, until 1951. Inspired by Secretary of State George Marshall, this plan was created to help Europe rebuild after the end of the war. There are questions after the end of the PDF, which are listed below.
http://www.crf-usa.org/images/pdf
/gates/Marshall_Plan.pdf- Make a list of reasons why the United States decided to provide Western Europe with more than $13 billion in Marshall Plan aid. What do you think was the most important reason? Why?
- In what way did the Americans and Europeans differ over the Marshall Plan? Cite evidence for your answer based on the text of the article.
- Was the Marshall plan successful? Provide at least two arguments based on the text of the article to support your answer and address key counterarguments that may appear in the text.
- The “Trente Glorieuses” (or, the “Glorious Thirty”) refer to the French golden years, a time period between the end of WWII and 1975. During this time period, France experienced economic prosperity and a growing population; this link gives a timelime and facts of the events which contributed to this time period – https://eserve.org.uk/tmc/contem/trente1.htm
- The Marshall Plan, while intended to help rebuild broken countries, had some unintentional consequences, such as contributing to the Cold War.
https://www.boundless.com/u-s-history/textbooks/boundless-u-s-history-textbook/the-cold-war-27/the-cold-war-211/the-truman-doctrine-and-the-marshall-plan-1172-9755/
The Role of the Government
- Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, “The State: One for All, and All for One”
- “How the Government Works ”
http://www.gouvernement.fr/en/how-government-works