This curriculum will examine the diplomatic vision of the European Recovery Act (ERA) as initiated and promoted by Secretary of State George C. Marshall. The ERA, which came to be known as the Marshall Plan, is one of the most stellar examples of U.S. diplomacy in 20th century American history. Lessons will explore: diplomatic events surrounding the end of World War II, Marshall's leadership and diplomatic expertise in garnering congressional support for the ERA, the strategies of the U.S. and European diplomats who designed the implementation of the ERA, and the immediate and lasting effects of the Marshall Plan. In addition, each lesson emphasizes the "art and action of diplomacy" and highlights how negotiating skills rest on character and the intent to find peaceful resolutions. Through instruction about the ERA, the curriculum will teach about the work of the Department of State, the art of diplomacy, and the process by which it takes place.