The $13.3 billion provided by the United States definitely contributed to European recovery (Introduction pp).
World War II had devastated much of the continent, leaving the local economies in ruin and millions homeless (Marshall pp). Moreover, the destruction of agriculture had led to conditions of starvation in many areas of the continent (Marshall pp). Many of the greatest cities were in ruins, others were severely damaged, and of particular concern was the damage to the transportation industry, such as railways, bridges, roads, and the number of merchant shipping boats that had been sunk (Marshall pp).
Due to the Marshall Plan, the four years following the War saw the fastest period of growth in European history (Marshall pp). Without the Marshall Plan, Europe would have had a very slow recovery, with many areas struggling for decades, and others falling to of the post-war era had provided fuel for the communist parties who had seen significant electoral success (Marshall pp).
It seems certain that without the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, many parts of Europe would be considered developing nations today rather than leaders in the international arena.
Works Cited
Introduction: The Marshall Plan. Retrieved July 21, 2005 at http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/mars0.html
The Marshall Plan. Retrieved July 21, 2005 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Plan
Truman Doctrine. Retrieved July 21, 2005 at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_Doctrine
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