site.btaJuly 8, 1947: Bulgarian Communist Government Rejects Marshall Plan

On July 8, 1947, the Bulgarian government, led by Prime Minister Georgi Dimitrov, officially rejected participation in the US-sponsored Marshall Plan. 

Officially known as the European Recovery Program (ERP), from 1948 to 1952 the plan had provided over USD 13 billion (equivalent to over USD 150 billion today) in economic aid to 16 Western European countries to help their economic recovery after World War II.  

The Bulgarian decision aligned with Soviet policy, as the USSR had already denounced the plan as a threat to its influence in Eastern Europe. Under pressure from Moscow, Bulgaria and the other Eastern Bloc countries were forced to refuse the American financial aid.

The event marks a key point to understanding the historical transition from war to Cold War and Bulgaria’s isolation from Western European integration.