Marshall Plan Of West Germany

After World War II Germany was left devastated and in ruins. There had been massive destruction of the country’s infrastructure (Bessel 2011), it lacked political structure and economic activity had plummeted. There was a scarcity of food, fuel and housing and Germany was in no condition to clothe or feed its population (O’Dochartaigh 2003).

The division of Germany into West Germany and East Germany emerged as a stopgap solution for the woeful state of the nation following its defeat in the Second World War. With the United States (US) ultimately gaining full control over West Germany, East Germany increasingly became alienated towards it, as it went under the influence of the Soviet Union (USSR). West Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), rapidly grew into one of the most politically and economically influential nations in Europe representing the democratic interests of the US in the region, while East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), went seemingly the other way. East Germans became increasingly disillusioned by the way their

First and foremost, a great deal of Europe’s success would not have happened without its initial aid from the United States. After helping destroy so much of the continent, the U.S. pumped billions and billions of dollars back into the European economy through The Marshall Plan. It was named after Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who said “The world of suffering people looks to us for leadership. Their thoughts, however, are not concentrated alone on this problem. They have more immediate and terribly pressing concerns where the mouthful of food will come from, where they will find shelter tonight, and where they will find warmth. Along with the great problem of maintaining the peace we must solve the

After World War One, Germany was thrown into downward spiral. They were left with a monstrous amount of

Following World War II, all of Europe was left in a clutter of disarray. Instead of watching Europe endure the hardships left from the war, the United States went to Europe’s aid. From 1947 to 1952, European nations experienced a time of massive growth. The Marshall Plan called for the nations of Europe to draw up a program for economic and political recovery from the war. The plan was a response to American concerns that communist parties were growing stronger across Europe and that the Soviets might intervene. The Marshall Plan also reflected the belief that US aid for European economic recovery would create strong democracies and open new markets for American goods. After World War II, The European Recovery Program was instrumental in economically

The source in question is an extract from the United States Secretary of State George C. Marshall’s commencement speech for receiving an honorary degree from Harvard University; it was delivered on the 5th of June, 1947 at Harvard University.

Germany emerged from World War I with huge debts incurred to finance a costly war for almost five years. The treasury was empty, the currency was losing value, and Germany needed to pay its war debts and the huge reparations bill imposed on it by the Treaty of Versailles, which officially ended the war. The treaty also deprived Germany of territory, natural resources, and even ships, trains, and factory equipment. Germany’s population was undernourished and contained many widows, orphans, and disabled veterans living in poverty. The new German government struggled to deal with these crises, which had produced a serious hyperinflation.

To refresh your memory, at the end of World War II, the Allied powers divided Germany into four different zones. Decided at the Potsdam Conference, each separate zone was controlled by The United States, Soviet Union, France, and Great Britain. (Rosenburg) But as the relationships between The Soviet Union and the rest of The Allied Powers quickly evaporated, aggression and power became the main focus. The United States, France, and Great Britain combined their zones, creating “West Germany”, and The Soviet controlled zoned turned into “East Germany” (Rosenburg). Being controlled by democratic nations, West Germany’s living conditions and economy were flourishing. Almost Miraculously. On the other

Source G is an extract from ‘The Unfortunate Legacy of the Marshall Plan’ written by Walter Coffey from 1941-1945. The source is describing how many critics argued that the Marshall Plan was drawn up simply to ensure that European markets stayed open for U.S. Exports. If Europe was left to its own efforts then it wouldn’t remain open to American business in the same way as the past and this would negatively impact on American trade and business. The Marshall Plan was the predecessor to many American foreign aid programs for the future. The programs consist of government-to-government contributions with no guarantees they will actually go toward helping those most in need. Therefore, source G is critical of Marshall Plan.

Germany had very low employment rates in this time and it made it even harder to get back to a stable economy. In this time a lot of people had no jobs so this also did not help Germany because companies were going out of business. This directly led to the decline of Germany's economy. When having no business’s running the country as no money coming in and can not send anything out.

The Marshall Plan was a way to deal with offer assistance to war destroyed European governments to remake system and give occupations. This wander was a meander of the Truman Administration and it passed on General George Marshall's Name since he made the principle addresses proposing this course of action and in light of the way that his named passed on such an extraordinary measure of weight. The plan itself gave just parts of what countries expected to reconstruct, be it steel, crude materials, seeds for harvests, hardware or coal just to give some examples things. Every country gave a rundown of what it required and the US then worked with every country to organize what was accessible.

In early September of 1945, Germany lay in total and utter ruins. In the years following World War Two, having been defeated, Germany was placed under allied occupation - divided into two main zones: West and East Germany. “West Germany was established on May 23, 1949, as one of two successor states—East Germany being the other.” ("Germany, West." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2015): 1p. 1. Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 6 Apr. 2016.) East Germany was ruled by the Soviet Union whilst West was under the rule of the Allied Powers. A chancellor by the name of Konrad Adenauer was put into power and it is said under his rule that Germany flourished. This research seeks to find out whether his role was important in the

The Young Plan of 1929 was an attempt to further support the government of Weimar Germany. The committee that assessed the reparations issue was headed by Owen Young – hence the plan’s title. In fact, it was a committee that had been appointed by the Allied Reparations Committee. Within the committee the Americans were very dominant – a reflection of the USA’s status as the world’s richest nation. J P Morgan, one of the world’s leading bankers, was a member of the US team.The final plan was considered a generous attempt to support Weimar Republic through her financial pain. The Young Plan further reduced reparations to 112 billion Gold Marks – then equal to about $8 billion. The money was set to be paid over 59 years with the equivalent of

The West being capitalistic and democratic consisted of Britain, France, and the US. After World War II Europe was divided between the West and the East, the East being Russia. The West implemented a completely different model of economic and political recovery. The Keynesian model of economics was developed on the basis of full employment. The model was introduced to all European States. As a part of the plan it introduction of increased governmental control. It also began subsidizing families with children through income. The economic recovery was more of a miracle due to the quick recovery Europe made. Education, healthcare and welfare were free for everyone. The whole goal for the West was to open up trade and cooperation in Europe.

1. Bouncing back from the infamous history of the German National Socialist Party and the Cold War Era presence of the Berlin Wall, Germany has once again risen to become one of the most prosperous countries in the World with their competitive persona. Within the cultural domains, Germany remains a leader within the realm of Technology and Material, as well as Economics and Resources, while maintaining strong relations with the United States of America.