European economic recovery and was essential for the long term interests of the USA, “The Marshall plan rested squarely on an American conviction that European economic recovery was essential to the long term interests of the United States.”. Hogan’s approach somewhat validates Kolko in implementing the importance that the economics had behind the Marshall plan. But also backs up Kolko’s argument of economic self-interest. Hogan says American policy makers saw “economic integration as the best way to achieve the interrelated economic, political, and strategic goals on their agenda”.

Kolko’s anti-capitalist views are one reason why he fails to mention communism as a motive for the Marshall Plan, weakening his argument. Kolko appears to overlook communism as a factor despite taking interest in “the direction of the world economy”, which would indicate a concern of communism influence. Hogan who has a similar economic argument does comment on a communism motive behind the Marshall plan, which provides his argument with more depth and therefore a more balanced piece then Kolko. Hogan argues “American officials saw Marshall’s plan as a way to break soviet influence in Eastern Europe”. I agree that the lack of economic stability could strengthen communist parties, as in France the communist party was the strongest politically, winning 25% of the votes that year. To further maintenance this Hogan says “This level of expenditure was necessary to avert ‘economic, social, and political’ chaos in Europe, (and) contain communism”. This argument is stronger than Kolko as its undeniable that economic motives were important as clearly Europe needed the money however the communist ideology was an underlying fear as it would have had the influence over the direction of world trade and economics as a whole in the long term. This subsequently shows Kolko is wrong to say it’s all down to economics. Truman introduced the Truman doctrine only a year before the Marshall plan. I would argue that this clearly shows Truman’s stance on communism and that it’s at the for-front of his policies. In the New York, St Patrick’s day address on 17 March 1948 while discussing the Marshall plan Truman is quoted saying,

“So long as democracy is threatened in the world, and during the perio