La Posguerra En Europa

EUROPE IN THE POSTWAR Economy and plans.
Javier Gómez.

Europe is divided, occupied and destroyed, without any ability to intervene in the world.
Europe only can get help for the reconstruction from the U.S., and the USSR was contrary to that and did not manifest support, preventing “their” countries join this help in order to stablish their influence.
For its part the U.S. also intends toremain in Europe, and, alter the military victory try to win the civilian population.

Moreover, the situation remains volatile in Europe, in Greece (with an strong communist influence) is developed a civil war between communists and pro-Western. In France the French Communist Party has also an important power, which that jeans a serious treta to the U.S. and was the origin of the TrumanDoctrine: to strengthen the friendly countries in an anti-communist front for which it was necessary to guarantee a certain comfort; although there are other reasons in American politics: US trade and Europe becomes an extraordinary market.

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was created on 12th July, 1947, after the Paris Conference. During the summer the committee worked onthe development of a document (Report of Paris) which described the purpose of the European needs U.S. aid. The 16 countries and 22,000 million dollars requested cash in 3 years. However, it should be noted that among the countries that met, not all were ruined, as Sweden and Switzerland, which won fortunes with the war. Therefore, the help is for all Europe, not only for the destroyed countries(except Spain).
However, among the most progressive Americans this is not well-seen, because it’s a conditional aid. And the same with the European countries like Sweden, where they fear for the progressive politics that were taking place and the important social reform and support are wary of condicionated that can be for those policies. Finally they end up undergoing since the Marshall Plandoes not impose significant cuts to their social reforms.
The 3th April, 1948, under the support of public opinion, Congress passed the “Foreign Assistance,” from which developed the European Recovery Program under the supervision of the Economic Cooperation Administration→ ‘Plan Marshall’. To assist ECA Europeans created the European Economic Cooperation Committee in April 1948 and the EuropeanOrganization for Economic Cooperation.

In December 1947, they received 520 million dollars.
As data to consider is that Italy was not clear if they were vanquished or victors.
The help to France and Italy is based in the danger that those countries with a strong communist parties were strong and actives, with more possibilites to take power.

The situation of Europe after World War II, fromthe economic point of view, was considerably severe, a really dark picture. Economic relations between European countries had experimented considerable changes, protectionism became the formula used tos ave the domestic economy, while born bilateral agreements restricting both trade and growth. The lack of international cooperation and global economic crisis, and the destructive position of theU.S., prevented the rebuilding of the European Economy.

The circunstances changed after World War II. At the end of it, the prospects were not encouraging. During the war, bilateral transactions of goods continued for necessity. Then the legar resources shortage forced to have these restrictions. Bilateralism continued throughout 1945, staying for the next 2 years. In this period, and according tothe OECD, the payments made bilaterally between countries reached over 60% of total grade generated in Western Europe. Only 25% was paid in dollars or convertible currenty. These restrictions and the lack of convertibility resulted in a more precarious economic situation during the postwar.

Truman, Harry S.
In the international ambit, during his tenure relations were deteriorated with the...