The American ambassador to France, Jefferson Caffrey, speaks during a ceremony at the harbor of Bordeaux, France, on May 10, 1948. The event marked the arrival of 8,800 tons of wheat aboard the first ship carrying Marshall Plan aid to France.

France received a total of $2.3 billion in Marshall Plan aid, the second-largest assistance package to any country. (The United Kingdom received $3.3 billion.)

The Marshall Plan was not an attempt at economic imperialism by the United States, nor was it the free handout feared by many U.S. taxpayers. Instead, the plan has been called a classic example of enlightened self-interest. It four goals were: To revitalize a severely damaged European; to avoid repeating the divisive mistakes of the inter-war period; to contain Soviet communism; and to avoid a U.S. postwar economic depression. (© AP Images)