Marshall Plan announced

Source: Americans.net Secretary of State Marshall in an academic procession after which he is awarded a honorary doctor and delievers his short speech on topic of the Marshall Plan

In a speech at Harvard University on 5 June 1947, the American Secretary of State George C. Marshall announces a comprehensive programme of reconstruction for Europe (Marshall Plan). The European Recovery Program (ERP) is supposed to help the devastated countries, including Germany, to regain their economic footing and, last but not least, prevent a further spread of Communism. Washington’s only condition: The European countries must agree on a common economic plan which is formulated in July in Paris with the participation of 16 nations.

Prior to the meeting the Eastern European countries, under Soviet pressure, had to refuse to participate in the programme. In subsequent years the USA grants aid money totalling nearly 13 billion US dollars. Almost 1.4 billion US dollars of that alone – today equivalent to an amount of ca. 25 billion US dollars – are invested for reconstruction in Germany’s three western occupation zones.

© Library of Congress While Western Europe is desperately waiting for help from the USA the russian shadow is getting nearer - caricature on topic of the delays concerning the Marshall Plan