মার্শাল পরিকল্পনা | Marshal Plan
The Marshall Plan was the complementary and expanded economic program of the Truman Doctrine. After the Second World War, the economic condition of Western Europe deteriorated rapidly. In this situation, the influence of communists began to grow quickly in various countries, including France and Italy. As a result, the United States started seriously considering how to save the democratic capitalist system from collapse. Initially, Dean Acheson and later George Marshall strongly advocated for American assistance in the economic recovery of Europe. On June 5, 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall announced a plan for European economic recovery in a speech at Harvard University. This came to be known as the Marshall Plan.
The Marshall Plan clearly stated that the United States would generously provide economic aid to rescue post-war European countries from hunger, poverty, and financial crisis. It was also declared that this program was not directed against any particular country. However, although not stated openly, the underlying objective of the plan was to curb communism through economic assistance and to create stable markets for American goods in those countries. To implement the Marshall Plan, a joint international organization was formed by 16 European countries (such as Britain, France, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Norway, etc.), known as the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC). Initially, 33 billion dollars were allocated for this purpose.
As a result of the implementation of the Marshall Plan, the economic depression in Europe began to recede. Production and export trade improved, and stability returned to social life. The United States also benefited indirectly, as two-thirds of the imports of the 16 recipient countries came from the U.S. In this way, the U.S. dollar emerged as the principal medium of exchange in international trade. However, on the other hand, continental politics became sharply divided into two opposing blocs, and the intensity of the Cold War increased dramatically. The Soviet leadership strongly criticized the Marshall Plan, calling it “dollar imperialism,” and, in response, the Soviet Union adopted a series of countermeasures to protect its sphere of influence.
Thank you❤ sir.
উত্তরমুছুন