Historical What-If: No Marshall Plan

[Rufus T. Firefly]

With all the feel-good and feel-bad attitudes toward American eminating from recent threads, I got to thinking about this. What would the world look like right now if the US hadn't bothered to rebuild Europe? Whaddaya think?

[KrazyHorse]

The Soviets would have done it for them.

[The Mad Monk]

You mean, like East Germany?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Frogger
The Soviets would have done it for them.

Um, with what giant pot of leprechaun gold?

[KrazyHorse]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
You mean, like East Germany?

I'm not saying the people in Europe would have liked it, but the Soviets did in fact rebuild the parts of Europe they took over. That they did it in order to feed their military machine at home was sort of my point...

[KrazyHorse]

It would have been, IMO an untenable position for the US to maintain a strong stand against the Westward movement of the Soviets on the long term if they had not helped rebuild Western Europe.

[KrazyHorse]

The Marshall plan was one of the more brilliant pieces of American statecraft, in addition to greatly easing the recovery of Western Europe.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

So no Marshall Plan = Soviet Union still around and Germany/France/Italy/etc. as Soviet satellites? Interesting theory.

[KrazyHorse]

I really don't see American soldiers manning the front line with 500 miles of desolation behind them. It's not realistic. First off, they now have to pay the full costs of occupation/defense themselves, secondly the inhabitants actually see the guys in the East getting better treatment (!) and thirdly they wouldn't feel there's anything worth protecting at that price.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

So what would the world be like now?

[MarkG]

i would be saved from being told tons of times by some of our pals here that i should be gratefull to America

that would lead to a tremendous amount of pressure relieved from my shoulders, resulting to great advancements for apolyton

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by MarkG
i would be saved from being told tons of times by some of our pals here that i should be gratefull to America

that would lead to a tremendous amount of pressure relieved from my shoulders, resulting to great advancements for apolyton

[HershOstropoler]

Re: Historical What-If: No Marshall Plan

Originally posted by Rufus T. Firefly
With all the feel-good and feel-bad attitudes toward American eminating from recent threads, I got to thinking about this. What would the world look like right now if the US hadn't bothered to rebuild Europe? Whaddaya think?

The economic recovery of Western Europe would have been delayed*, probably enough for vulnerable countries like Greece or maybe Italy to fall to communism. I suppose the US would still have maintained a presence in Europe, and the outcome of the cold war not altered.

* "if the US hadn't bothered to rebuild Europe" - the funds were way to small to account for the "rebuilding".

[Dinner]

Europe would have eventually been rebuilt but the Marshall Plan "primed the pump" and got those economies moving again much sooner then they could have on their own.

I do agree it is likely Greece would have gone communist and it is possible Italy or even Austria would also have swung into the Soviet camp (instead of being in NATO or neutral in the case of Austria) without the Marshall Plan.

[HershOstropoler]

"or even Austria would also have swung into the Soviet camp"



With the east of the country occupied by the soviets who pumped loads of money into the communist party, what percentage of the vote did the commies get in the 1945 elections, hmm?