Second World War Left the Term Paper

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In this sense, Stalin decided to extend his influence and to impose certain types of government in countries such as Poland, Hungry, or Romania. The same fate would have had Greece and Turkey as well, should the U.S. not have outlined the Truman Doctrine. It can be said that the doctrine itself was a reaction to the tendency of the soviets to extend their influence.

The Marshall Plan can be seen as the economic component of the Truman Doctrine. It was in fact a set of principles pointed out in 1947 at Harvard by Secretary of State George Marshall (American Rhetoric, 2008). This economic plan too was designed for cater for the economic needs of eastern countries as well, but seeing that the Russian side considered it to be the mere economic arm of the Truman Doctrine, it forced countries under its occupation to reject this reconstruction aid. In fact the financial support would have enabled states to come out of the recession they were facing after the war taking into account that Eastern Europe had been an important battle field in the entire confrontation. However, the adherence to such a plan also included the adoption of certain capitalist economic practices which would have undermined the socialist influence of the Soviet Union. From this point-of-view, the Russians pressured eastern countries to remain outside the system that would eventually be created around these financial perspectives and the organization which would soon come into being, the OCDE.

The direct impact of the Marshall Plan cannot be measured in figures.
Taking into account the fact that the total amount of money provided by the U.S. was almost $13 billion at the 1950s value, there were structural changes that took place. In this sense, the U.S. tried to reconsider the mechanisms of the society. More precisely, it financed the change from an industry of war to one of peace, from one that would produce material for the war period and military arsenal, to one that would produce consumer goods and would mark the start of a market economy, based on capitalist principles.

One of the most important effects of the Marshall Plan however was the reconstruction of West Germany. It can be said therefore that the actual aim of the financial strategy included the financial assistance given to Germany in order to restructure its industry, its agriculture, as well as its society. In the absence of such a plan, Germany would have continued to be a low ranked, underdeveloped country, with little possibility of economic revival. It can be said that in fact it would have perfectly resembled East Germany that came under the influence of the Soviet Union.

Overall, it can be said that the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan played an essential role in the reconstruction of Europe as they laid the foundation for political and financial reconstruction......

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