Marshall Plan and International Development Strategy: Perspectives from African Underdevelopment

Abstract

All that mankind seeks from the dawn of civilisation to this epoch is sustainable development (SD). Due to a lack of SD, Second World War broke out and devastated Europe and retrogressed her to the status of underdevelopment. To recue Europe from the ruins, the U.S. introduced Marshall Plan (MP)—a programme of actions and projects with huge financial aid aimed at reviving and restoring Europe from the aftermaths of the war. Through MP, Europe ‘miraculously’ recovered and developed again within a brief period, and since then, Europe has been sustaining the development till date. The article argued that MP did not restore Europe because of the huge amount committed to it as many scholars claim. Rather, because of the already-built political economy of quality human resource/capital, politico-administrative capabilities and patriotism already in existence. Unlike the third world countries that have received their own versions of MP in foreign aids, programmes, loans, projects, and so on, without commiserate development.