Marshall Plan was terminated on 195 1 as scheduled. Since then, because the United States intervened in the Korean War and faced with the increasing military expenditure, the attempt to continue the Marshall Plan failed. The Republican Party, which has always opposed the plan, won more seats in the 1950 parliamentary election, and conservative opposition forces began to rise. In this way, the Marshall Plan ended with 195 1, but since then, other forms of American assistance to European countries have never stopped.
economic impact
1948 to 1952 was the period of the fastest economic development in European history. Industrial production has increased by 35%, and agricultural production has actually exceeded the pre-war level. Poverty and hunger in the first few years after the war ceased to exist, and the economy of western Europe began to develop unprecedentedly in the past 20 years. When historians study whether or to what extent these achievements should be attributed to the Marshall Plan, there is still controversy. Most people think that this economic miracle is not only due to the Marshall Plan, because there are signs that Europe has already shown signs of economic recovery. It is generally believed that the Marshall Plan has accelerated the economic development in Western Europe, but it has not started the economic take-off in Europe.
Political influence
The political impact of Marshall Plan is no less than its economic impact. The implementation of this plan made western Europe get rid of the financial shortage and rationing caused by the shortage of materials in the early post-war period, reduced people's dissatisfaction with the government and stabilized the political situation. Although some countries' regimes (such as France) initially joined the American camp, which caused strong dissatisfaction in their own countries, after the Marshall Plan came into effect and showed results, the power of Western Europe weakened rapidly, and its influence could not be compared with before. The trade relationship between the United States and Western Europe, which was born out of Marshall Plan, also consolidated and promoted the North Atlantic Alliance and made it last until the end of the Cold War. At the same time, the refusal of eastern European countries to participate in the plan is considered to be one of the most important signs of declaring the division of Europe after the war. Some scholars also believe that from the perspective of East-West relations, "Marshall Plan is the last step towards the Cold War".
European integration
Marshall Plan played an important role in the process of European integration. After the war, it is generally believed that European integration can ensure long-term peace and prosperity in Europe. Therefore, they hope to guide the process of European integration through Marshall Plan. But it didn't play this role to a certain extent-in fact, the actual activities of the European Economic Union (OEEC, the predecessor of the later Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)) never went beyond the economic field. Instead, the European Coal and Steel Union-although it did not include Britain, one of the most important economies in Western Europe at that time-eventually evolved into the European Union. At most, the European Economic Community provided a reference platform for the later establishment and operation of the European Economic Community. Marshall Plan and Bretton Woods system actually promoted free trade in Western Europe.