How did the Marshall Plan of 1946 impact the relationship between Western Europe and the United States?

The European Recovery Program, commonly known as the Marshall Plan, strengthened the relationship between the United States and Western Europe. The Soviet Union wanted to spread communism throughout the world. They were successful in establishing communist governments in Eastern Europe. They now set their eyes on doing the same in Western Europe. The communists tried to take over countries that had weak or struggling economies, and the Marshall Plan was designed to strengthen the economies of Western European countries to prevent them from becoming communist countries.

The United States offered economic aid to countries that were fighting the spread of communism. Western European countries, such as Greece and Turkey, accepted our aid. These countries didn’t become communist. Combined with other actions, such as the Berlin Airlift and the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United States and the countries of Western Europe became strong partners that worked cooperatively to prevent the spread of communism to Western Europe after World War II ended.