3.The USA's involvement in Europe

US policy toward Europe

Initially the USA wanted to work towards reconstructing a democratic region for Europe, with international cooperation, however there was no suggestion that the US wanted long term political or military entanglement with Europe beyond their time establishing political and economic reconstruction there.

USA's worries about Europe

In July 1945, Assistant Secretary of State Dean G. Acheson warned the situation in Europe (railways and power systems had collapsed, the financial system was at a standstill) mirrored a wider international problem that threatened their democracy based on Capitalism. And Under-Secretary of State William L. Clayton claimed that Europe was steadily deteriorating with high levels of starvation and poverty – so without aid from the USA Europe and eventually further would experience social, economic, and political disintegration.

by 1947

By 1947 US strategic planning (planning that is designed to establish some degree of military, political or economic control by pursuing different actions and policies) on Europe was focused on ensuring economic recovery post WW2 and also ensuring unity amongst the states – creating a stable block of pro-American countries in Europe, however it was noted that this was only doable in the Western countries.

USA & Britain

The USA’s route into Europe came from their special relationship with Britain; Britain was a stable state providing a role/influence in Europe, which also needed to preserve its own international status (something that had to be done with the support of the USA) – mutual support.

Using other Western states which had left-wing socialist groups was much riskier than the British Labour Government at the time.

The build up to Marshall Aid

In May 1947 Clayton concluded that a failure to revive the economies in European states would economically damage the US too, there’d be a loss of market for American goods and therefore increased unemployment in the US.

For many the main issue was the impact of WW2 on politics, economics, and social structure in Europe, so aid toward Europe should focus on economically reviving the states as opposed to battling Communism, which wasn’t the issue.

The Marshall Plan June 1947

So, the Marshall Plan was introduced by George Marshall, with the intent of giving aid to Europe following the devastation of the war. Some of the aid must’ve been spent on importing goods from the US, and recipients must’ve shared their economic information with the US, therefore the idea being to improve and stabilise the US economy by improving Europe’s.

Furthermore, the Marshall Plan also was designed to reverse the trend of Communist parties being elected to office by despairing populations, which’d then fall under the influence of the USSR.

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The Marshall Plan recognised the importance of a strong German and West Berlin economy for improving the Western European economies too, and by June 1948 it was decided that Germany should have its own Constituent Assembly – marking the first broad steps toward the resolution of the German problem since Potsdam.

Over 5 years the Marshall Plan provided $13.5 billion to 16 European countries (in the form of both goods and money)

Reactions to Marshall Aid USSR

The USSR saw the Marshall Plan as an example of American economic imperialism, with US influence eventually spreading into Eastern Europe and undermine their security and sphere of influence (e.g., Czechoslovakia and Hungary, which by 1947 weren’t fully Communist and therefore interested in receiving Marshall Aid, which’d bring them under the economic influence of stronger Western Capitalist economies. However, they were forced to reverse their decisions by Stalin).

Reactions to Marshall Aid Kennan

Kennan however believed that the Marshall Plan would not free the USA from the Western Zones of Germany being long term dependent on them, he was wary of the USA assuming a heavy burden of responsibility and believed that a united Germany would be more beneficial for the USA than one that was divided.

Reality of Marshall Aid

Although, the Marshall Plan ended up simply accelerating the division of Europe and undermined the possibility of cooperation and consensus between the 2 superpowers.

Germany - Bizonia

In January 1947 the British and American occupation zones in Germany merged into a single zone known as Bizonia, reinforcing the indication that the USA wanted a clearly defined West German state to become a leading force in the unification of a stable Western European bloc.

But many still remained intent on a divided Germany to ensure that there was a lower chance of them becoming too powerful, them aligning with the USSR, and then undermining American influence as Germany would become more independent and economically dominant. Whereas West German economic recovery would be manageable, and less of a threat to the US.

Germany - the Deutsch Mark

In June 1948 a new currency (the Deutsch Mark) was introduced into the Western zones of Germany and Berlin, but the USSR immediately imposed a blockade on Berlin where all road and rail links to Western zones and Western Berlin through the Soviet zones were blocked.