Soldier-statesman George C. Marshall remembered on 70th anniversary of plan

By Mike Anderson, Director of European Host Nation Relations, U.S. Army EuropeJune 6, 2017

Soldier-statesman George C. Marshall remembered on 70th anniversary of plan
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Soldier-statesman George C. Marshall remembered on 70th anniversary of plan
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Few Americans have done as much for their country as George C. Marshall.

He served as the Army's Chief of Staff during World War II and was later regarded as the "architect of victory;" he also served as Secretary of State, Envoy to China, Secretary of Defense, and president of the Red Cross.

He received the Nobel Peace Prize for the Marshall Plan, the European Recovery Program, and was simply, the quintessential Soldier-Statesman.

"The world situation is very serious," Marshall said to a crowd of 15,000 at Harvard Yard on June 5, 1947, 70 years ago.

The same sentence could also be uttered today given the renewed Russian threat in eastern Europe and the scourge of terrorism as seen recently in London, Manchester, Paris, Brussels and Berlin.

Much like today's European Reassurance Initiative, the $17 billion, 4-year "European Recovery Program" that Marshall initiated, was a U.S.-led means of reducing the expansionist tendencies of the Soviet Union, while reassuring European partners.

At the time Marshall gave his speech, Europe was still in the early stages of reconstruction and suffering economically due to World War II.

Significantly, the Marshall Plan, as it brought 16 European nations together and kick-started their recovery, brought hope where there was none, and laid the foundation for what is today NATO and the European Union.

The Soldier-statesman's namesake, the Marshall Center in Garmisch, Germany, created a website to celebrate and educate visitors on Marshall's concept of rebuilding European security and economies following World War II.

The centerpiece of the online celebration is a collection of editorial cartoons from Soviet newspapers, criticizing the Marshall Plan. Though the Soviet Union was invited to participate in the initiative, they refused and began a propaganda campaign to discredit the initiative.

Besides the Soviet-era editorial cartoon collection, the online exhibit features a selection of historical and contemporary books, videos, and essays related to the Marshall Plan.

The website for the online exhibit is: http://mcrl.libguides.com/MarshallPlan70

---

About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51-country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.

Related Links:

Online Exhibit

U.S. Army Europe

George C. Marshall European Center