Portugal and the Marshall Plan: a reluctant beneficiary (1947-1952)

Abstract

This article seeks to show that the Portuguese government, although with some hesitation and reluctance, took part in the negotiations for the Marshall Plan, by which the United States provided financial aid to Europe after the end of the Second World War. Portugal's involvement with the Marshall Plan, as this articles shows, was much closer than the official propaganda of the time suggested. Despite the widely held belief to the contrary, Portugal did actually benefit from aid under the Plan. This is almost virgin territory in contemporary Portuguese history. The articles systematically reviews the main phases of the negotiations at the OEEC and the way in which Portugal's participation in the talks coincided with one of the most important changes in direction in the country's foreign policy under the New State.