APFIVE Historian John Matthews argued that the Marshall Plan was a purely humanitarian effort to rebuild war-torn Europe and lacked any ideological goal of countering Soviet communism. Which of the following pieces of evidence most directly contradicts this interpretation?
The aid provided under the Marshall Plan came with conditions that encouraged European economies to adopt capitalist policies, clearly aiming to contain communism.
Several European governments expressed gratitude for the aid without stipulating any ideological modifications.
European nations benefitted from the economic assistance, leading to improved industrial outputs and better living standards.
The success of the Marshall Plan is evident in the rapid economic recovery of Europe, which is consistent with pure humanitarian objectives.