Soviet Perspectives on the Marshall Plan

The money was offered to all European countries, both East and West. A number of Eastern European countries, like
Czechoslovakia, were anxious to join, hoping that the money would help to rebuild their countries. The Soviet Union
refused to let them, calling it “dollar imperialism”. They argued that it would give the Americns far too much
influence in Europe. Stalin feared that the Eastern bloc countries might be coaxed away from his sphere of influence.
Therefore none of the Eastern bloc countries were allowed to accept the plan.

SOURCE A – A Soviet historian’s view of the Marshall Plan

“Thus the Marshall Plan widely advertised as a plan to ‘save peace’ was essentially aimed at uniting bourgeois
countries on an anti-Soviet basis. Even right wing politicians and publicists (supporters in the press) saw the Marshall
Plan as a the nucleus (beginning) of a new Holy Alliance against Communism.”

SOURCE B – An extract from a Communist youth newspaper

“President Truman has announced the following principles of American foreign policy. The United States will
everywhere support, with weapons, money, reactionaries, Fascists who are hateful to their own people but who, on
the other hand, are ready to place their country under American control. Two countries suitable for this were found
at once: Greece and Turkey. Now they both have in fact come under American domination. Americans are building
their military bases there, American capitalists are opening businesses and buying up all that seems to them
profitable. For this the Greek and Turkish reactionaries who are in power are receiving from the Americans money
and weapons for the struggle against their own people. But Greece and Turkey are too small, and American appetites
are great. American expansionists are dreaming of all Europe, or at least Western Europe.
Directly to propose that the European countries become American colonies such as Greece or Turkey is somewhat
inconvenient. And so the Marshall Plan emerges in America. It was announced that the United States wanted to
“help” the European countries to reconstruct their war-torn economies. Many believed this. But it was soon evident
that the Marshall Plan was simply a cunning way of subjecting all Europe to American capital.”

SOURCE C – GM Malenkov, a Soviet politician, speaking in 1947 about the Marshall Plan.

“The ruling gang of American imperialists has taken the path of open expansion, of enslaving weakened
capitalist countries.  It has hatched new war plans against the Soviet Union. Imitating Hitler, the new
aggressors are using blackmail.”

SOURCE D– “A view of the Marshall Plan”, a SOURCE E – This cartoon was published in

cartoon on the cover of the Soviet humour Czechoslavakia in 1949. It was drawn by a team
magazine Krokodil. of artists. The title is "Marshall Plan in Practice".
It shows General Marshall holding guns and
harnesses
labelled "for the Germans" and "For the French"