WEBVTT - How the Marshall Plan Worked

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm editor Candice Keener, joined by staff writer Jane mcgran Hey, Hey, Jane.

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<v Speaker 1>I think in today's society it wouldn't be so crazy

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<v Speaker 1>if the government issued a statement and said a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of our friends are in financial distress, and we're going

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<v Speaker 1>to give them a whole bunch of money to bail

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<v Speaker 1>them out and make it better. It seems pretty familiar today,

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<v Speaker 1>but something exactly like that happened um right after World

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<v Speaker 1>War Two. Yeah, And ironically enough, we know that today, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>Europe's economy is doing I think a hair better than ours.

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<v Speaker 1>We know at least that their unit of currency has

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit more punched than the American dollar. But

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<v Speaker 1>after World War two ended in n the situation in

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<v Speaker 1>Western Europe was really, really dire. We're talking about a

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<v Speaker 1>quarter of Germany's housing and the cities was just demolished.

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<v Speaker 1>There had been a decline and the gross domestic products.

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<v Speaker 1>And when they seemed to be slowly getting their acts

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<v Speaker 1>back together, the winter of six was so harsh that

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<v Speaker 1>the wheat harvest was completely knocked off. And what's more,

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<v Speaker 1>you have Western Europe's neighbors over to the East trying

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<v Speaker 1>to tempt them with the fruits of communism and socialism. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's true. And um not to belabor the point of

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<v Speaker 1>how bad they were doing over in Europe, but about

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<v Speaker 1>a third of the more than a third actually the

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<v Speaker 1>European industry was destroyed, which is just sort of crazy

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<v Speaker 1>to think about. And a sixty million unemployed, a hundred million,

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<v Speaker 1>we're going hungry. And there were a lot of efforts

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<v Speaker 1>to try to improve this that didn't it wasn't doing enough.

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<v Speaker 1>For instance, United uh Nations tried to help with the

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<v Speaker 1>U n r A by offering supplies, but these supplies

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<v Speaker 1>were basically food and medical supplies, and this wasn't exactly

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<v Speaker 1>helping them get back on the industry back on track, right.

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<v Speaker 1>It would sustain them, but not help them thrive and

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<v Speaker 1>flourish to pre war levels. And we know that President

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<v Speaker 1>Truman had extended the Truman Doctrine, which said that the

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<v Speaker 1>United States would offer support to any nation resisting authoritarian regimes.

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<v Speaker 1>So that was significant too. But again we're talking about

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<v Speaker 1>people who very desperately needed money to get things rolling again.

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<v Speaker 1>And so on June five, there was a commencement ceremony

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<v Speaker 1>at Harvard and George Marshall was going to be receiving

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<v Speaker 1>an honorary doctorate degree from Harvard, and he had been

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<v Speaker 1>asked to say a few words, and he sort of

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<v Speaker 1>cryptically wrote in a letter that he would say a

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<v Speaker 1>few words and maybe more. Yeah, and he his speech.

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<v Speaker 1>I read it um when I was preparing for the podcast,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's really good. It just lays things out very

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<v Speaker 1>clearly for someone to understand. And he what he says

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<v Speaker 1>is actually pretty familiar to stuff that you here today

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<v Speaker 1>in the news of political speeches, and that he was

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<v Speaker 1>explaining how the economic situation was enormously complex and that

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<v Speaker 1>the average man on the street couldn't really understand what

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<v Speaker 1>was going wrong and how to fix it. And he

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<v Speaker 1>laid it all out, and he said the breakdown of

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<v Speaker 1>the business structure of Europe. Europe was complete, and basically

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<v Speaker 1>explaining that raw materials and fuel were in short supply,

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<v Speaker 1>the Europeans machinery for their farming and everything like that

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<v Speaker 1>was lacking and worn out. So basically, what you have

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<v Speaker 1>in the situation where the farmer he can't buy the

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<v Speaker 1>materials he needs for ready money. So what's the good

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<v Speaker 1>of selling his produce if he can't buy what he needs?

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<v Speaker 1>And Marshall even famously said, our policy is not directed

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<v Speaker 1>against any country or doctrine, but against hunger, poverty, desperation

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<v Speaker 1>and chaos. And who is anyone to argue with that?

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<v Speaker 1>And he chose the perfect forum to do it too. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>it's interesting people love quoting that, and I think it's

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<v Speaker 1>a great quote because it shows that Marshall's trying to

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<v Speaker 1>sort of distance himself from the effort, from the argument

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<v Speaker 1>that this plan will contain communism. He wants to sort

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<v Speaker 1>of distance himself from the politics involved in it and

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<v Speaker 1>just sort of focus on the hunger and just the

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<v Speaker 1>horrible poverty that was going on exactly. And he knew

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<v Speaker 1>that it was going to take a lot of effort

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<v Speaker 1>to get people in Washington to get on board with

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<v Speaker 1>the Marshall Plan what later came to be known as

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<v Speaker 1>the the European Economic Recovery Plan that right, Yeah, and

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<v Speaker 1>it was known as the Marshall Plan in the news.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I read that Marshall himself didn't really like

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<v Speaker 1>calling it the Marshall Plan. Obviously, it was a joint effort.

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<v Speaker 1>There were lots of people involved. He didn't exactly write

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<v Speaker 1>every word of it. It was known as Marshall's Plan

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<v Speaker 1>because he did advocated and and uh campaign for it

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<v Speaker 1>so vigorously. Right. So, on that very famous day at

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<v Speaker 1>Harvard during the commencement ceremony, he knew who he was

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<v Speaker 1>going to be talking to. He was going to be

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<v Speaker 1>talking to a captive audience, people who were you know,

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<v Speaker 1>pretty friendly and the media. So the idea was to

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<v Speaker 1>get them on board with this plan first, and then

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<v Speaker 1>any adversaries in Washington. And of course people balked when

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<v Speaker 1>they heard the numbers involved with this plan, and the

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<v Speaker 1>United States actually asked Europe how much money do you

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<v Speaker 1>think you need over how many years to get things

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<v Speaker 1>back on track? And Europe had said billion dollars and

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<v Speaker 1>they didn't really have a set system as to how

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<v Speaker 1>they were going to delineate these funds and how it

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<v Speaker 1>was actually going to work to support the European economies.

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<v Speaker 1>What the Marshall Plan was doing was saying that thirteen

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<v Speaker 1>billion dollars in aid would be given to Western European

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<v Speaker 1>countries over the span of four years. And that was

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<v Speaker 1>still a pretty tough pill to swallow. Yeah, Marshal after

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<v Speaker 1>he got this agreement from from the European countries who

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<v Speaker 1>got together to do it. Like Candice mentioned, um it

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<v Speaker 1>was it was a part of a condition that the

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<v Speaker 1>European countries had to say what they wanted, rather than

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<v Speaker 1>the US coming in saying we're gonna give you x amount.

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<v Speaker 1>So once that I got figured out, Marshala to come

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<v Speaker 1>back to the US and are you in front of

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<v Speaker 1>Congress to say for them to pass this this uh

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<v Speaker 1>this bill. And so he went on a tour around

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<v Speaker 1>the country. In addition to speaking in testimony in front

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<v Speaker 1>of Congress, he wanted to win over the public, and

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<v Speaker 1>he gave a of speeches promote the plan the unions

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<v Speaker 1>like businessmen and farmers, etcetera. And I was reading on

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<v Speaker 1>a website that was established for the fiftieth anniversary of

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<v Speaker 1>the Marshall Plan, and was a website sponsored by us AID,

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<v Speaker 1>And the website was explaining that basically you had two

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<v Speaker 1>different camps of people who were opponents of the Marshall Plan.

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<v Speaker 1>You had people on the right who thought it was

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<v Speaker 1>a type of global new deal, and then he had

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<v Speaker 1>people on the other side who thought that the United

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<v Speaker 1>States was going to go into Europe and acts like

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<v Speaker 1>it was trying to control the countries, trying to colonize them,

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<v Speaker 1>trying to impose its powers and its ways of doing things.

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<v Speaker 1>But I think that's what's so significant about Marshall being proactive.

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<v Speaker 1>He didn't just offer people helping hand and say hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna scoop you up. He made the countries do

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<v Speaker 1>the work and say how exactly they were going to

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<v Speaker 1>formulate their own plans once they had the financial assistance

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<v Speaker 1>to do so. Yeah, and the isolation has had a point.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, obviously we had this tradition in America ever

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<v Speaker 1>since Washington's speech, the we shouldn't get entangled in foreign affairs,

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<v Speaker 1>and and the isolationists were afraid of this happening, and

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<v Speaker 1>so were the Soviets actually, and that's definitely yeah, the

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<v Speaker 1>Soviets were very scared of this. Initially, um, the US

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<v Speaker 1>was going to include the uss are in this aid,

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<v Speaker 1>but the Soviets pulled themselves really early in the plan

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<v Speaker 1>because they didn't They saw this whole plan is basically

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<v Speaker 1>the US trying to exert its own influence over Europe,

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<v Speaker 1>and they didn't want to be involved in it. They

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<v Speaker 1>didn't want to be controlled by us holding their purse strings,

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<v Speaker 1>basically right. And I think the Soviets trying to think

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<v Speaker 1>from their perspective for a minute here. You know, their

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<v Speaker 1>country had been ravaged as well, and according to the

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<v Speaker 1>the ideal principles of communism, speaking just theoretically here for

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<v Speaker 1>a moment, the idea to work for the common good,

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<v Speaker 1>to share what resources there were. It wasn't a terrible idea.

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<v Speaker 1>It's just that communism and practice as we know, didn't

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<v Speaker 1>work out so well for the Soviet Union. And I

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<v Speaker 1>think that these ideologies were filtering west. And we know

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<v Speaker 1>for sure that there were communist uprisings and check a

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<v Speaker 1>slavaw uck, yeah, and then even a small one in

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<v Speaker 1>France and Italy, and there was one that uprose in Greece,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Greek government was so fast and strong to

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<v Speaker 1>squel chip that that's what really got the United States

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<v Speaker 1>thinking we should be helping out Western Europe. They are

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<v Speaker 1>making an effort to contain communism, and we do need

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<v Speaker 1>to give them aid. Yeah. And there was a series

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<v Speaker 1>known as the Domino theory that when one country felt

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<v Speaker 1>under communist rule, that the surrounding neighboring countries would succumb

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<v Speaker 1>to it. Basically that the influence would spread um geographically.

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<v Speaker 1>And you have to think, because these countries are so

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<v Speaker 1>tightly packed together on the European continant, they're trading with

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<v Speaker 1>each other, you know, they're all passing through one another.

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<v Speaker 1>They're all in a really bad situation. So it was

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<v Speaker 1>entirely plausible that that could happen. But in Washington, I

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<v Speaker 1>think a pretty big development came when a Senator named

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<v Speaker 1>Arthur Vandenberg, he was a chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

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<v Speaker 1>He got on board with the Martial plan, and he

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<v Speaker 1>was known for being someone who took a strict isolationist policy,

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<v Speaker 1>and he was quoted as saying, in the name of peace, stability,

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<v Speaker 1>and freedom, it deserves prompt passage, in the name of

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<v Speaker 1>intelligent American self interest and envisions a mighty undertaking worthy

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<v Speaker 1>of our faith. And that presented a unique perspective, the

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<v Speaker 1>idea that if you are truly an intelligent, hard working

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<v Speaker 1>American who wants to see the fruits of your labor,

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<v Speaker 1>you're gonna want to piece Europe back together because in

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<v Speaker 1>the end it's going to benefit you know. And that's

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<v Speaker 1>the kind of math that Americans like to hear. Am

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<v Speaker 1>I right, Yeah, that's true, and it's important to note

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<v Speaker 1>some of the hard things that even you know, everyone

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<v Speaker 1>was will intention they didn't want to see this hunger

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<v Speaker 1>and poverty go on in Europe. But at the same

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<v Speaker 1>time Marshall had to answer questions to Congress, like can

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<v Speaker 1>American farmers even supported? Do do we have the facilities

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<v Speaker 1>we have to sustain ourselves and Europe? So ultimately the

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<v Speaker 1>plan was put into practice and it was meant to

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<v Speaker 1>continue for four years, and I actually got shut down

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<v Speaker 1>a little early on December thirty, first ninety one, because

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<v Speaker 1>that's when the Korean War really took off, and also

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<v Speaker 1>Europe was showing such improved progress that the United States

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<v Speaker 1>felt like it was time to sort of shut it down,

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<v Speaker 1>and we'd at that moment established a precedent of the

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<v Speaker 1>United States foreign relations. Yeah, and it's curious some of

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<v Speaker 1>the reverberating effects of the martial plans, some good, some

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<v Speaker 1>not so good. For instance, the Soviets, when they pulled

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<v Speaker 1>out UM, they started offering their own version, called the

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<v Speaker 1>Molotov Plan to their eastern blocks, and they sort of

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<v Speaker 1>lifted the curtain or the the iron curtain, the famous

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<v Speaker 1>UM term that refers to their control of the Eastern

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<v Speaker 1>Block nations, and so US offering this martial plan to

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<v Speaker 1>try to contain communism also contained communism in that block

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<v Speaker 1>in a way. But there are some really good effects

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<v Speaker 1>as well. I mean, arguably the martial plans at the

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<v Speaker 1>stage for military cooperation of things like the European Union

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<v Speaker 1>and North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Definitely, and we saw West

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<v Speaker 1>Germany starting to rearm again, to restock its arsenals and

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<v Speaker 1>to read build its housing, and um, no European nations

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<v Speaker 1>ever fully succumbed to communism. And then we see that

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<v Speaker 1>the gross domestic product is back up, industries are producing again,

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<v Speaker 1>and so overall the Martiall Plan will not fully realized

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<v Speaker 1>in its length and its original parameters. It was a success,

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<v Speaker 1>and Marshall went on to be awarded the Nobel Prize too. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and there's very few things that I think we can

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<v Speaker 1>say about, you know, these political plans in the twentieth

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<v Speaker 1>century that there were huge success Like, nobody ever says

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<v Speaker 1>that about anything but the Martial Plan. Yeah, it was.

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<v Speaker 1>It was a pretty huge success. And ironically enough, if

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<v Speaker 1>you look at today and um right now as we're

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<v Speaker 1>recording this podcast, we know that the g twenty summit,

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<v Speaker 1>is is occurring um over in Europe, and conditions in Europe,

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<v Speaker 1>like we said, are arguably a little better than they

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<v Speaker 1>are the United States. We had said back during the

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<v Speaker 1>time of post World War two that we wouldn't talk

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<v Speaker 1>to a nation to who were involved communism, and now

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<v Speaker 1>one of the biggest players and the world economy is China,

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<v Speaker 1>a communist nation. So it's really important, I think, to

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<v Speaker 1>know the history of foreign relations and foreign aid so

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<v Speaker 1>that we can understand the choices in the events that

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<v Speaker 1>are happening around us today and how significant it was,

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<v Speaker 1>for instance, when Nixon started recognizing China and even under

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<v Speaker 1>the communist rule exactly was huge compared to the hell

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<v Speaker 1>soon after this was the after the Martial Plan. And

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<v Speaker 1>I think there comes a point when you have to say,

0:12:27.960 --> 0:12:30.360
<v Speaker 1>I don't agree with your politics, but I can't deny

0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.040
<v Speaker 1>any longer that you're making a huge contribution in the

0:12:33.080 --> 0:12:38.480
<v Speaker 1>world markets. So we tackle modern issues like this on

0:12:38.720 --> 0:12:40.520
<v Speaker 1>our blog. Even if you don't get to hear his

0:12:40.640 --> 0:12:43.200
<v Speaker 1>podcast every day, you can get a little snippet of

0:12:43.280 --> 0:12:45.480
<v Speaker 1>Candis and Jane on the stuff you missed in history

0:12:45.480 --> 0:12:49.240
<v Speaker 1>class blog. That's right. We tackle news events, and just

0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:52.160
<v Speaker 1>things that interest us, and even your mail every Friday. Um.

0:12:52.200 --> 0:12:54.360
<v Speaker 1>If you write in for a suggestion for a podcast

0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:56.840
<v Speaker 1>and we're not able to do immediately, we'll often write

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<v Speaker 1>a blog about it, so check that out. We do so.

0:12:59.280 --> 0:13:01.200
<v Speaker 1>If you want to be more about the Marshall Plan,

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<v Speaker 1>or World War two, or any of the communist leaders

0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:06.600
<v Speaker 1>who tried to shut down the Marshall Plan, be sure

0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:08.720
<v Speaker 1>to check out our website and how stuff works dot

0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:13.280
<v Speaker 1>com for more on this and thousands of other topics.

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<v Speaker 1>Isn't how stuff works dot com. Let us know what

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