United States Foreign Policy From the Marshall Plan Through Iraqi Reconstruction*

Abstract

The Marshall Plan, expressed to the world by Secretary of State George C. Marshall in a speech at Harvard University in 1947, was proposed to resolve the economic need left behind by the devastation of Europe during the conflict of World War II. Cities and towns, industry and agriculture, transportation and commerce lay in ruins. The only major power not damaged in the conflict was the United States. Although US financial and military aid was already present in European countries, Marshall believed the solution to political stability in Western Europe was to be found primarily in their economic recovery. In the first section, this research project discusses the Marshall Plan, its development, implementation and results. It also explores several questions which include: Why is the European response critical? Did the British dominate the European response? How did the Marshall Plan affect European nations? The second section introduces original research that examines United States foreign policy from 1945 through the present. It outlines the concept and use of US foreign aid, the types and amounts, its effect on foreign policy decisions, as well as the shift from reconstruction to development; additionally, the differences between the conditions in Europe post WW II and post-war Iraq are discussed. The third section of the project offers a comprehensive Essay component as well as “DBQ” questions, with inclusive documentation, for an AP level United States History class and/or New York State Regents level history class.