On 3 April 1948, US President Harry Truman signed the Marshall Plan, a massive economic aid programme aimed at rebuilding war-ravaged Western Europe after World War II.
With an initial allocation of $5 billion to 16 nations, the plan sought to revive economies, curb the spread of communism, and strengthen transatlantic alliances.
Over four years, the US provided more than $13 billion in aid, spurring economic recovery and laying the foundation for modern European prosperity.
