America at 250: The Marshall Plan, With Benn Steil

America at 250: The Marshall Plan, With Benn Steil

From The President’s Inbox by Council on Foreign Relations

June 3, 2026 · 40 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the transformative impact of the Marshall Plan on postwar Western Europe and its lasting significance in U.S. foreign policy.

This episode unpacks how the Marshall Plan transformed postwar Western Europe and why security, allied cooperation, and forward thinking were the real keys to its enduring success. To mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. declaration of independence, CFR is dedicating a yearlong series of articles, videos, podcasts, events, and special projects that will reflect on two and a half centuries of U.S. foreign policy. Featuring bipartisan voices and expert contributors, the series explores the evolution of America’s role in the world and the strategic challenges that lie ahead. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Benn Steil, Senior Fellow and Director of International Economics, CFR We Discuss: How the British Empire’s rapid collapse in early 1947 forced the United States to assume responsibility for Western European security. What George Marshall’s six weeks of negotiations in Moscow revealed about Soviet intentions in Germany and Western Europe. How Marshall deliberately crafted the plan’s offer to include the Soviet Union while ensuring Soviet leader Joseph Stalin would reject it. How Congress, controlled by…

People in this episode

Host: James M. Lindsay

Guest: Benn Steil

Topics covered

Keywords

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Council on Foreign Relations, British Empire, NATO

Places: Western Europe

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