Under the Marshall Plan, countries were expected to do what in exchange for aid?

• A. Buy US goods and allow US companies to invest in them
• B. Trade exclusively with the USSR
• C. Rely only on European goods
• D. Build non-market economies

Answer: (A)

The plan tied financial aid to a real boost for the American economy: open markets for US goods and permission for American companies to invest in Europe. By offering aid in exchange for buying American products and allowing American investment, Washington aimed to rebuild Western European economies quickly, create demand for US exports, and foster political stability that would resist communist influence. It wasn’t about trading exclusively with the USSR, relying only on European-made goods, or building non-market systems—those options would run counter to the goal of reviving Western Europe as a market for American trade and investment.