1936 Olympics Dbq Essay

There are two specific Olympic Games - held in Germany- that had significant actions occur. The 1936 Berlin Olympics were better known to many as “Hitler's Games” or the “Nazi Olympics”. According to Rodden, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to not let Germany compete in the previous two Olympic Games for kindling the start of World War 1. In the early 1930s, the IOC decided to let Germany’s Weimar Republic hold the 1936 Games as a “welcome back to sports Germany.” This all took place before Hitler gained control of Germany and created the Nazi party. With the IOC expelling German athletes from the previous couple Olympic Games, politics had taken charge. Germany had capable athletes to compete but due to political leaders,

Indeed, newspapers and magazines throughout the American South did not print any photos of Owens's” (Owens was one of the best United States track athletes at the time both among the white athletes as well as the black) “victories-whereas, by contrast, the German press showed pictures of his triumphs. (Far more pridefully trumpeted in the German press as testimony of Aryan supremacy and black inferiority than the Olympiad was a world victory that occurred two months before the Olympics started...”

“...Hitler made no attempt to ban Jewish or black athletes from other countries from competing…” (Rodden). Hitler's point was to prove the Aryan race was superior so Germany’s team was to be made up of only Aryan athletes. When push came to shove, Hitler allowed a pair of German-Jewish athletes to compete. (Rodden). Hitler used the Berlin Olympics to try and promote his ideas of “national pride, prestige, and a status-obsessed ‘we're on display’ showcase mentality” (Rodden). Hitler focused on making Germany the best, for the world would be viewing their actions and prestige. He used his country's resources to obtain this. He built up their stadium put all of Germany’s resources into the Olympic Games, “exemplifying the Nazi preference for massive edifice…” (Rodden). Rodden even goes on to point out how politics were linked together with sports are the biggest problem of Berlin. Because of the problems occurring with the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, a new political action emerged. This was the first time in history the Olympics were sought to be revoked. “The 1936 Games established a pattern that became common with subsequent Olympics: boycotts. For the first time there was an attempt to cancel the Olympic Games… “ (Rodden). This set the precedent for many Olympic boycotts to follow. Even today, the 1936 Games have been distorted to show a certain viewpoint, “...most