Beginning of Essay
During the winter of 1946-47, the worst in memory, Europe seemed on the verge of collapse. For the victors in World War II, there were no spoils. In London, coal shortages left only enough fuel to heat and light homes for a few hours a day. In Berlin, the vanquish ....

Middle of Essay
.... and a long view of America's role in the world. They suspected that in the Kremlin, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin was waiting like a vulture. Only the United States, they believed, could save Europe from chaos and communism. With sureness of purpose, some luck and a little convincing, these men persuaded Congress to help rescue Europe with $13.3 billion in economic assistance over three years. That sum--more than $100 billion in today's dollars, or about six times what America now spends annually on foreign aid--seems unthinkable today. The European Recovery Program, better known as , was an extraordinary act of strategic generosity. How a few policy ....