What was the primary purpose of the Marshall Plan?

The primary purpose of the Marshall Plan was to aid in the economic recovery of Europe following the devastation of World War II. Initiated in 1948, this American initiative provided over $12 billion (around $130 billion in today’s dollars) in economic assistance to help rebuild European economies. The underlying goal was to rebuild war-torn regions, remove trade barriers, modernize industry, and improve European prosperity in order to create a stable environment that would resist the influence of communism, particularly from the Soviet Union.

By addressing economic instability, the Marshall Plan aimed to prevent the socio-economic conditions that could lead to the rise of communist movements in Europe, which was a growing concern during the early years of the Cold War. This approach demonstrated the United States' commitment to contributing to the reconstruction of a democratic and economically viable Europe, which was seen as essential not only for the continent’s recovery but also for the stability and security of the wider Western world.