What is the single most important factor (as well as others) which
enabled France and Germany to develop stable democracies after World
War II and sustain them today?

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Clarification of Question by eliz543-ga on 02 Oct 2004 17:31 PDT

please provide some research or evidence with your answer.  websites
with vauable information would be nice. thank you

The Marshall Plan.

Politicalguru is, as usual, absolutely correct.

One of the major problems leading to WWII was financial.

Nazi Germany had renegued on its Reparations Debts (which had been
refinanced by the USA) and most of the countries (except Finland) who
had taken war loans from the US during WW1 had also defaulted.

So America was being dragged down by its lendings. It had to finance
WWII through Lend-Lease (sounds friendlier than War Loan, don't you
think?) which totalled $50 billion. Doesn't sound much today but it
was serious money then.

After WWII, the refinancing programmes were continued through the Marshall Plan.

Warning: Beware of Credit Card debts!