The Marshall Plan was a US program to provide economic and technical assistance to help rebuild European economies devastated by World War II. Secretary of State George Marshall proposed allocating $13 billion in aid to 16 European countries between 1947-1951 to restore infrastructure and prevent the spread of communism. While most Western European countries participated, the Soviet Union refused aid and prohibited Eastern Bloc countries from accepting it, seeing the plan as a threat to Soviet control. The Marshall Plan was largely successful, contributing to economic growth and recovery across much of Western Europe.