To whip up American support for this US policy, Truman overstated the Soviet threat to the United States. In turn, the Americans wanted to destroy communism because they saw it as a dangerous disease.

The Marshall Plan
In the summer of 1947, the government of President Truman put forward a scheme that it hoped would help Europe’s people and also make communism less appealing to them. The scheme was called the Marshall Plan. On 4 July 1947, the governments of France and Great Britain addressed a joint invitation to 22 European countries, asking them to participate in the work of an organisation for European economic co-operation. Its principal task was to establish a programme to reconcile the assets and the needs of Europe. The French Minister also sent an information letter to the Soviet authorities, which had refused the plan from political and economic reasons. Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey accepted the invitation. These 16 countries met in Paris conference on 12 July 1947 and several months later the USA started its plan. Millions of dollars’ worth of American food, raw materials and machinery started to pour into western Europe. The Marshall Plan in Czechoslovakia
On 4 July 1947, the invitation to participate in the work of an organisation for European economic co-operation was sent to Czechoslovakia. Many politicians saw the plan as a great offer and opportunity and as a solution of the economic problems. Although communist politicians did not agree with the plan, Minister Masaryk saw it in a positive way and the president was for the participation in it. The problem was that Czechoslovakia was under the influence of the Soviet Union and the relationship between

them was very strong. Czechoslovakia ensured the Soviet Union that it would not do anything what could be seen as a step against it. On 9 July 1947, the Czechoslovak delegation (Gottwald, Masaryk, Drtina) met Stalin and Molotov (Foreign Minister) in Moscow. The Soviet Union’s final standpoint to the Marshall Plan was rejecting and advised Czechoslovakia to reject it too. The day after, on 10 July, the Czechoslovak government meeting was very dramatic and discussion heated. The issue was whether to accept the invitation to Paris or not. Finally, Czechoslovakia refused it and continued in its heretofore policy.

Implications on European countries which took part in the Marshall Plan
By the time the Marshall Plan ended in 1952, western Europe was back on its feet and beginning to prosper.