Part I. History, Diplomacy, Democracy and Development – 11
PART I. HISTORY, DIPLOMACY, DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT – 11 Part I. History, Diplomacy, Democracy and Development THE MARSHALL PLAN: LESSONS LEARNED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY CHAPTER 1. THE MARSHALL PLAN: HISTORY AND LEGACY – 13 Chapter 1. The Marshall Plan: History and Legacy by Gerard Bossuat The Marshall Plan, officially called European Recovery Program (ERP), was in place from April 1948 to September 1951. Most contemporary actors considered that it played an essential role in the economic successes of postwar Western Europe. The various European programs of modernization greatly benefited from the ERP, since it financed imports essential to reconstruction and modernization. It produced counterparts in European currencies, the allocation of which needs to be clarified, and generated a debate on their use. Moreover, the Marshall Plan was at the origin of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), created to encourage European unity. The Marshall Plan was a political tool in the hands of the American administration in the context of the Cold War and the defense of the West. What was the role of the Marshall Plan in the development of a consumer society? Was the Marshall Plan Americanizing European societies? The ERP thus also held a socio-cultural dimension. Finally, over the last 60 years the Marshall Plan has become a myth. Whenever our countries are hit by a crisis, the media or politicians ask for a “new Marshall Plan”. The Marshall Plan was, and remains, appreciated, but it also raised criticisms in Europe. So we have to separate what belongs to history and what belongs to the collective memory or to the myth.
[Show full text]