7. George C. Marshall
George C. Marshall is the unsung hero of the Second World War, serving as the Chief of Staff for the United States under Roosevelt and later Truman. But it was as Truman’s Secretary of State that he formulated and implemented the plan to rebuild Western Europe under what became known as the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan restored European markets and trading partners, strengthened the NATO alliance, and was a leading factor in the containment of Soviet aggression and expansion in the aftermath of World War II. In 1953 Marshall was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.