Even while World War Two raged on people had hope of the rebuilding that would occur afterwards and the renaissance of standards of living that would occur. In the United Kingdom, Sir William Beveridge, published his plan for the rebirth of British society called the Beveridge Plan. The Beveridge Plan proposed a national health service, subsidized housing, and insurance against sickness or unemployment. Surprisingly, unlike most other idealistic postwar plans, the Beveridge Plan became the framework for the United Kingdom moving forward. However it would not spread to other countries because the Americans had a more appealing alternative.
In 1948 the United States Congress enacted the European Recovery Plan or as it’s better known, the Marshall Plan, a plan to rebuild Europe after the war by giving $13 billion ($132 billion in modern money) to European countries. The United Kingdom, France, and Italy would receive the largest share of this money. Of the countries outside of the Soviet Union’s sphere, Spain was the only country who did not receive immediate aid because Francisco Franco’s dictatorship was seen as an “offshoot of Nazism.” Luis Garcia Berlanga made a satirical film called “Bienvenido Mister Marshall” which satirized the American obsession with appearances. America would not want to help countries that looked like a war zone, they wanted their aid to be received with pageantry and cultural ceremony. It was almost like vassals paying tribute to the mighty Mongol Empire, if they wanted the aid they were going to have to show their appreciation. In the end the U.S.’s desire for allies against the Soviet Union won out against their concern for the human rights violations of Francisco Franco and aid was provided in 1951.
It seemed as though Europe was moving away from warfare and towards welfare. The Americans would provide them with consumer comforts in exchange for their loyalty. The European countries hoped that with this boost, they soon would be able to reach the United States’ level of economic prosperity.
Before this assignment I was aware of the Beveridge Plan. Though the plan did have an idealistic appeal it was probably better for Europe to use the Marshall Plan. This thought is best supported by the fact that the U.S. could pull it off more effectively.
Christopher Jackson
It is interesting to see how European countries viewed U.S aid, although a Spanish satire film is certainly a strange lens to view it through. While I doubt the U.S’s intentions were wholly altruistic, I think that may have been on the minds of many Americans at the time. Regardless of the intent, the U.S still sent massive amounts of aid to war torn countries.
I think both are quite similar, in terms of the Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms and Beverage’s Five Evils. “Beveridge Plan became the framework for the United Kingdom moving forward. However it would not spread to other countries because the Americans had a more appealing alternative.” An interesting idea, I wonder if it didn’t spread because of America’s greater influential power through the Marshall plan or different cultural interpretations in terms of necessities.
With American aid came American ideas and policies that are still felt today. Without us, Europe was able to return to its glory while also developing a more “American” way of thinking towards democracy.
In your post, you discuss the role of image and perception in the process of nations receiving aid from the U.S. through the Marshall Plan. I think that this is a very valid point to make and one that is often overlooked. Do you see this need for “pageantry” as a part of Europe becoming Americanized? Furthermore, some other posts discussed the “strings” that were attached to the Marshall Plan specifically. Is this desire for a particular vision of a “grateful Europe” one of the implied “strings?” Is this something that is fair to ask of a Europe in ruins?