The Marshall Plan, officially called the European Recovery Act, was a programme of aid designed to support the rebuilding of Europe after the end of the Second World War and maintain American power and influence in the postwar global order. It was signed in 1948 and delivered over 13.3 billion dollars in financial aid over 3 years. It was developed by, and named after, US Secretary of State George C. Marshall.
At the end of the Second World War, European nations faced severe economic challenges. Towns and cities across the continent had been reduced to rubble and rebuilding was a slow process. Agriculture, manufacturing and trade were lagging, which further depressed the European economies.
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