Answer:
1) Economic benefits due to the economic interdependence that the beneficiary countries would have after the aid.
2) Political and Territorial control by establishing military bases in the heart of Europe.
3) To stop the expansion of communism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Marshall Plan was a plan promoted and financed by the United States for the economic recovery of several European countries, mainly Germany, after World War II. The official name of the plan was the European Recovery Plan, although it was also called the Kingdom Plan.
The plan was carried out from 1947 to 1951, and the name by which it is known is due to the then US Secretary of State, General George Marshall.
After the end of the Second World War, the European countries, particularly those that had participated in the hostilities, and especially Germany, were in a state of severe economic prostration. In these areas, the differences between the Americans and the Soviets became evident: the US already foresaw a possible advance of communism in Europe, and these differences would lead to the Cold War and the division of Germany into two countries in 1949.
Two main causes influenced the execution of the Marshall plan to recover the European economies, especially the German one, after the devastation of the war:
- Economic Reason: Europe emerged as a potential market for U.S. products if it recovered from destruction. Germany had to be included because of its undeniable importance in the economic fabric of Europe and, ultimately, of the world.
- Political Reason: The Soviet Union was a highly industrialized country, ideologically opposed to the Western world, and willing to add nations to its area of influence. US analysts saw a clear danger in leaving Europe to its fate; communist influence could win more and more followers in impoverished countries, making them easy prey for the USSR.
The execution, in essence, consisted of allocating monetary resources to the beneficiary countries, and they would be in charge of administering those resources, investing them in the reconstruction of the economic structure. Technical assistance was also provided.
Some analysts consider that the Marshall Plan was not essential for the post-war economic recovery, but it is generally accepted that a powerful boost was given to economies in need, taking advantage of the opportunity to make the countries affected and benefited by the economic aid dependent on the American economy.
The United States also did its part by slowing the spread of communism in the countries it helped.
The Marshall Plan also laid the organizational foundation for the European Economic Community, which would give way to the European Union.