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Foreign Policy - Essay Organizer

Introduction:
Background: Provide some historical background on the time period What was
happening in this region before U.S. intervened in this event? What was the U.S.s
relationship with this country before this event?

The first practical elements of US support European countries came in May 1947, with aid
packages for Greece and Turkey. Yet, with the promulgation of the European Recovery
Program which also known as the "Marshall Plan" provide more money to more countries in
June. US government argued that it is important to provide financial aid for European
countries with two reasons. "First, economic instability would generate political
instability and probably give rise to communist revolutions. Secondly, US trade depended
on a productive, prosperous Europe."( "The Marshall Plan."The Cold War.)
Claim:
In the case of the Marshall Plan, the use of the containment policy was effective based
on its goals of support European countries that they could exercise self-determination
and resist a communist takeover because they stabilizing many European governments and
blocking Soviet expansion.
Paragraph 1: (Containment)
Topic sentence: In the case of the Marshall Plan, Communism was a concern because the
Soviet Union continued to absorbed the nearby nations in order to expand the communist.
Containment: Including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and
Czechoslovakia.
Text Evidence: The Soviet-backed Lublin Regime had complete control of Poland, violating
the Yalta promise of free and unfettered elections there. Yugoslavia had an independent
communist leader named TITO. And now Stalin was ordering the creation of a communist
PUPPET REGIME in the Soviet sector of occupied Germany. How many dominoes would fall?
United States diplomats saw a continent ravaged by war looking for strong leadership and
aid of any sort, providing a climate ripe for revolution. Would the Soviets get all of
Germany? Or Italy and France? President Truman was determined to reverse this trend.
(Containment and the Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This demonstrates that the Soviet Union grew up super fast after World War
II and tried to controlled all the Europe, even all the world. They almost controlled the
Eastern Europe and were advancing westward. They were trying to expand the communist and
their regime whenever and wherever possible. The reason this was an important concern at
the time was US as an one of the biggest power of the world want to protect Western
Europe, stop the communist expansion and Strengthen the position of the world power. So
US would make some action in order to change the situation.

Paragraph 2 (Goals):
Topic Sentence: While containing Communism was the overall goal in the Marshall Plan,
the U.S. also had to rebuild a war-devastated region, increasing prosperity in the US,
and bolster European Integration interests in the region.
Goal 1: Rebuilding Europe was one of the goal of the Marshall plan because after WWII
the situation of Europe was really bad. People were hungry, poverty , and the nation
owned a lot of international debt.
Text Evidence: Thousands protest in West Germany against the disastrous food situation
(March 31, 1947). Sign: We want coal, we want bread. The Marshall Plan was designed to
help rebuild war torn Europe, and thus make Europe less susceptible to Communist threats(
The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.) and Marshall himself explained this in a
speech to Harvard University students in June 1947: Our policy is not directed against
any country, but against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos. Any government that is
willing to assist in recovery will find full cooperation on the part of the United States
of America. Its purpose should be the revival of a working economy in the world so as to
permit the emergence of political and social conditions in which free institutions can
exist.(The Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This proves that to rebuild Europe was a goal and a mission of US. They want
to use political power and financial aid to support Europe in order to cooperate with them
against communist and help the world financial. This was significant at the time because
the Soviet Union's ambition for Europe is very strong. Europe is in the most vulnerable
situation. So if the United States did not give the support to Europe and help them to
rebuild, all of the Europe might become the control of the Soviet Union and US would lose
their trade partners as well.
Goal 2: Increasing prosperity in the US was the goal of the Marshall plan because
American economic rely on international trade with Europe pretty much.
Text Evidence: Americans feared that after World War II the financial troubles and
unemployment of the 1930s could recur, increasing prosperity in the U.S. was one goal of
the Marshall Plan. As a way of boosting exports, the plan had wide appeal to American
business people, bankers, workers, and farmers. (For European Recovery: The Fiftieth
Anniversary of the Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This illustrates the US did not want the financial crisis happened again and
affect American economic. So this would be a big concern of them. American economic
interest required Europe to become wealthy enough to import US goods.
Goal 3: Bolster European Integration was the goal of The Marshall Plan because it used to
be really hard for the other countries trade with European business.
Text Evidence: Prior to World War II most European nations had protectionist economic
policies in other words, it was difficult for foreign traders to export to European
markets. The conditions of the Marshall Plan rebuilt the national economies of Europe and
incorporated free trade policies and practices, which would later prove profitable for
American producers and manufacturers.( The Marshall Plan)

Reasoning: This reveals American rely on European economic and want to be trade easier
and cheaper with them. The U.S. would care about this because it would affect American
business people and everything connected with trade. They want to use this chance to
rebuild European economic system which become more convenience to US.

Paragraph 3: Effects on Region/Effect on Americans (you must discuss both)

As a result of U.S. intervention, the European countries got the support and stood on
American side which is democratic. Therefore containment was effective in Europe because
it successful in stabilizing many European governments and blocking Soviet expansion.
Text Evidence: The Marshall Plan stabilized the economies and the political situation
in several European nations bordering the Soviet sphere of influence. This reduced the
likelihood of communist takeovers in these countries, which would have given Moscow an
excuse to annex them. (The Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This proves that the stable Europe limited the communist expand. This is a
positive outcome because American achieved their main goal and got their power.
Text Evidence: The Marshall Plan created an economic miracle in Western Europe. By the
target date of the program four years later, Western European industries were producing
twice as much as they had been the year before war broke out. Some Americans grumbled
about the costs, but the nation spent more on liquor during the years of the Marshall
Plan than they sent overseas to Europe. The aid also produced record levels of trade with
American firms, fueling a postwar economic boom in the United States.(Containment and the
Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This shows that the Marshall Plan was really succeed and affect Europe and
America themselves' economies. This is a positive outcome because both of them got a lot
of benefit from the plan and created a n economic miracle.
Paragraph 4: Evaluation of Goals
Topic Sentence: Based on the intended goals, containment was effective because it
built a new Europe which raised the European output and bolster European Integration. Also
American got the financial benefits as well.
Goal 1:

One of the goals of U.S. intervention was to rebuild a war-devastated region.

In analyzing the outcomes of this event, this goal was achieved because it succeed to
stable European economic.
Text Evidence: By 1952, as the funding ended, the economy
surpassed pre-war levels; for all Marshall Plan recipients,
35% higher than in 1938. Over the next two decades, Western
growth and prosperity.(The Truman Doctrine and the Marshall

of every participant state had

output in 1951 was at least
Europe enjoyed unprecedented
Plan)

Reasoning: This illustrates the goal of rebuild the European countries after WWII was
very succeed. The economies of European country became way better than before US support.

Goal 2:

An additional goal of U.S. involvement was increasing prosperity in the US

.
In evaluating the outcomes of this event, this goal was achieved because it fueling a
postwar economic boom in the United States.
Text Evidence: Because most of the resources and goods purchased with Marshall Plan
funds came from the US itself, this benefited American exporters and domestic industries.
It allowed the US to recover from a short-term economic slump in 1946-7 and enter a period
of economic boom. American corporations built networks and trade links in Europe that
continued well after the Marshall Plan had run its course.(The Marshall Plan)
Reasoning: This demonstrates American got a lot of profits from the networks and trade
built from the plan. They created a economic system which benefit themselves as well and
got an economic boom during that time.
Goal 3: The final interest connected to U.S. involvement was bolster European
Integration.
In assessing the outcomes of this event, this interest was satisfied because they
Text Evidence: The Marshall Plan was one of the first elements of European integration,
as it erased trade barriers and set up institutions to coordinate the economy on a
continental levelthat is, it stimulated the total political reconstruction of western
Europe. Many felt that European integration was necessary to secure the peace and
prosperity of Europe, and thus used Marshall Plan guidelines to foster integration.( The
Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan.)
Reasoning: This demonstrates the Marshall Plan caused the European Integration. And it
let the political economy was based on free trade rather than protectionism and selfinterest. This also let American be easier to enter to European markets.

Concluding Paragraph:
Restate Thesis in a different way.
Considering the goals of the U.S. in the Marshall Plan, containment was successful
because they stabilizing many European governments and blocking Soviet expansion. Its
achieved goals of support European countries that they could exercise self-determination
and resist a communist takeover.

Summarize evidence that supported thesis.

The Marshall Plan was incredibly successful for both Europe and America. The introduction
of large amounts of American capital helped strengthen local economies in the affected
countries, and most were exceeding prewar economic levels in just a few years. These
booming Western European economies successfully halted the westward spread of communism

in Europe. American industry also benefited by exporting large quantities of goods and
equipment to Western Europe.
Make connection to today
This newfound economic cooperation would eventually help form the European Community (EC),
a collective agreement between Western European nations. Now they become bigger named
"European Union" which is a unique economic and political partnership between 28 European
countries that together cover much of the continent.