2009/05/01 by David S. Painter · 1 citation
Economics, Econometrics and Finance · Energy · #Economic Theory and Policy #Global Energy and Sustainability Research #Natural Resources and Economic Development #Marshall Plan #Cold war #Plan (archaeology) #Political science #Soviet union #World War II #Middle East #Power (physics) #Turning point #Period (music) #China #Economy #Politics #Law #Economics #History #Archaeology
paper · doi:10.1080/14682740902871851
openalex publication_date 2009/05/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The Marshall Plan was the most effective US foreign policy initiative in the post-war period and a turning point in the Cold War. This paper highlights a very important and commonly neglected aspect of the Marshall Plan – the influence of oil. Oil played a key role in the origins, operations, and impact of the Marshall Plan. Marshall Plan aid for oil preserved markets for US oil companies and shaped Western Europe's energy use patterns and its relations with the United States and the oil-producing nations, especially those in the Middle East. In contrast, the Soviet Union was unable to use oil as an instrument of power and influence in this period. Examination of the role of oil in the Marshall Plan provides important insights into the origins of the Cold War and the factors that shaped the post-war world.