The story behind the birth of the Cold War and Stalin's determination to crush the Marshall Plan and undermine American power in Europe~Award-winning financial historian Benn Steil examines the critical period of 1947-49, which determined Western Europe's fate.~Includes fascinating new material from American, Russian, German, and other European archives to offer a new understanding of the Marshall Plan and America's blueprints for the post-war world.~Published to mark the 70th anniversary of the Marshall Plan initiative.