The Marshall Plan: Uncle Sam to the rescue

After the War, Britain was broke and broken – even broker than France. America was faced with a stark choice: invest billions in a shattered Europe or watch its citizens go hungry, or worse, Communist. So how did the Marshall Plan come to be? And what sort of Britain did it rebuild beyond the Welfare State?

Ros Taylor talks to Benn Steil, director of international economics at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and military historian Dr. Steph Hinnershitz about the aid package Britain needed, but wants to forget.

Subscribe to Jam Tomorrow for a new episode every fortnight.

• “A rubble heap, a charnel house, a breeding ground of pestilence and hate.” – Winston Churchill describes Europe after the War

• “We grossly underestimated the destruction to the European economy by the War… Millions of people in the cities are slowly starving.” – William L Clayton, 1947

• “The State Department knew that if it didn’t prop up Britain and take over her security responsibilities, we might be headed towards a Third World War.” – Benn Steil

Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Jade Bailey. Original music by Dubstar. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Jam Tomorrow is a Podmasters production

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices