Europe was able to recover from the devastation of World War II in a number of ways. However, the Marshall Plan was the most vital aspect of Europe's recovery from World War II. The Marshall Plan was an American initiative that provided to aid to Western Europe. The plan provided $13 billion in financial support to help rebuild Western European economies after the war. The purpose of the plan was to rebuild regions of Europe destroyed or greatly damaged in the war, to remove international trade barriers, to modernize European industry and businesses, and to attempt to stop the spread of communism throughout Europe.