Assess the strengths and weaknesses of the economic revival of Western Europe between 1945-1970.

World War Two left Europe in state of economic distress. The war had left many areas of Western Europe in complete ruin, and the world's major industrial areas were brought to disintegration. Western Europe could not longer conduct the prosperous trade in which it once participated in. In this state of devastation, both the Soviet Union and the United States reached out to lend a hand to help economical revival in Western Europe. Since communism …

…revival of Western Europe came with strengths and weaknesses. Although most of the nations of Western Europe got well on their way to prosperity by the Marshall Plan, Italy still suffered. The Marshall Plan also divided Europe into Western and Eastern Europe, in which hostile relations occurred between the two. Although economic recovery can clearly be seen during this period, many harmful results, such as bad social relations between countries was caused because of it.