Editing Marshall Plan (section)

==Wartime destruction==
By [[End of World War II in Europe|the end]] of World War II, much of Europe was devastated. Sustained [[Strategic bombing during World War II|aerial bombardment during the war]] had badly damaged most major cities, and industrial facilities were especially hard-hit. Millions of refugees were in temporary camps.{{sfn|Buchanon|2006|loc=ch. 1}} The region's trade flows had been thoroughly disrupted; millions were in refugee camps living on aid from the United States, which was provided by the [[United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration]] and other agencies. Food shortages were severe, especially in the harsh [[Winter of 1946–47 in the United Kingdom|winter of 1946–47]]. From July 1945 through June 1946, the United States shipped 16.5 million tons of food, primarily wheat, to Europe and Japan. It amounted to one-sixth of the American food supply and provided 35 trillion calories, enough to provide 400 calories a day for one year to 300 million people.{{sfn|Matusow|1967|pp=35–36}}

Especially damaged was transportation infrastructure, as railways, bridges, and docks had been specifically targeted by airstrikes, while much merchant shipping had been sunk. Although most small towns and villages had not suffered as much damage, the destruction of transportation left them economically isolated. None of these problems could be easily remedied, as most nations engaged in the war had exhausted their treasuries in the process.{{sfn|Judt|2001}}

The only major powers whose infrastructure had not been significantly harmed in World War II were the United States and Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-01 |title=The Marshall Plan: Definition, Date & Cold War |url=https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/marshall-plan-1 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=HISTORY |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Canada |first=Veterans Affairs |date=2021-06-07 |title=Canada's Industries Gear up for War - Historical Sheet - Second World War - History - Veterans Affairs Canada |url=https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/classroom/fact-sheets/industry |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=www.veterans.gc.ca}}</ref> They were much more prosperous than before the war, but exports were a small factor in their economy. Much of the Marshall Plan aid would be used by the Europeans to buy manufactured goods and raw materials from the United States and Canada.