The Olympic Games During The Cold War - 1788 Words

The Olympic Games has been a lens through which to scrutinize the world’s political, social, and economic spectacles. It has seen tsarist autocracy, fascism, despotism, and the great associated movements of the political solidity and contrariety of communism and capitalism. During the Cold War, sport was a sphere in which the USSR and the West competed bitterly. Following World War II, the Soviet Union utilized the Olympics to assure the world of its superiority and to prove communism’s stability as a political ideology. Purportedly amateur, sport meant a lot to Soviet authorities, as did awards and gold medals. Athletes often spent most of their time training in world-class facilities, even though they were meant to be factory workers or army officers. From 1950 to 1980, the United States exploited the Games as a platform to undertake a propaganda operation against communism, releasing an abundance of material to promote American ideals. On February 22, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York at the XII Winter Olympics, one unlikely hockey game served as a catalyst for newfound patriotism in America and marked the commencement of a new era in Soviet and American Cold War politics. The tensions between the United States and the U.S.S.R following the 1980 Winter Olympics and the Miracle on Ice represent strong, unwavering surges of nationalism. By analyzing the story of how 20 men and a determined head coach shocked the world- through the words of those present and affected-Show MoreRelatedTo What Extent Were the Moscow Olympic Games of 1980 Affected by Cold War Tensions?1624 Words   |  7 Pagesto analyze extensively the role that Cold War tensions played in the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. The analysis seeks to understand the effect that politics, have on the organization, implementation and eventually success of sporting events such as the Olympics. In order to do so, the analysis will address the events leading up to, during and after the Mosco w Olympic Games of 1980. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 will be addressed to help place the games into perspective. Also, exchanges betweenRead MoreThere Are Many Different Factors That Have Shaped And Contributed1531 Words   |  7 Pagesthat have shaped and contributed to the modern Olympic movements from 1892 to 2002. The original idea of the Olympics was to make an international community not through race but through sports. It was much like the war games that the Greek city-states had. The Greek had formed the games to promote unity throughout Greece. However, as time passed on world events such as women s suffrage movements and war such as the Cold War began to change the Olympics. Other factors such as global marketing and nationalismRead MoreOlympics And The Cold War1657 Words   |  7 PagesJulia Zucker Mr. Pai US History 13 May 2015 1980 Olympics and the Cold War The 1980 Olympics became a predominant point of contention in the on-going Cold War between the two superpowers; the United States and the Soviet Union. Jimmy Carter, the President of the United States, and Leonid Brezhev, head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union were at odds and combative towards each other’s political demands. Both leaders were relentless in their pursuit of internal strategic bureaucraticRead MoreAP World History Olympics DBQ1181 Words   |  5 Pagesmodern Olympic movement has been shaped by many differentiating factors over the years. It has been altered by social, political, and economic factors. More specifically, warring times, changes to social structures, and economic activity that varies by country have been the overall leading factors that have shaped the Olympics over the years. The Olympics have shown over the decades that they can be affected by political conflict. However, it seems that this is the point of the Olympics, to illustrateRead MoreThe Olympic Hockey Game Between The Us And The Ussr1063 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the Cold war, tensions were high between the US and the USSR. The two countries always wanted to show that they were the most dominant. One of the ways that the USSR showed dominance was through the Olympics and ice hockey. The hockey game between the US and the USSR during the 1980 Winter Olympics was a turning point in the Cold War. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR) was said to be the best of all the teams in Olympic hockey. The 1980 Olympic hockey game between the US and theRead MoreThe Cold War And The Soviet Union1073 Words   |  5 PagesDuring the 1970s, the Cold War had quieted down for a bit and there were even negotiations of peace talks. That all changed when the Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan in favor of the communist side while the USA were aiding the anti-communist side. Eventually America pulled out of Afghanistan and went home, but the tension that was there continued through the 1980 Olympic Games. The Soviet Union dominated in the sport of hockey for several years and won gold medals multiple times, but what satisfiedRead MoreHow One Remembers An Event994 Words   |  4 Pagesemotional state of the spectator; the larger socio-political context also has a part to play. The 2014 Sochi Winter Games are no exception to this theory, but a prime example of it. The Sochi games come, at least in this author’s mind as a dud. Yes, women were for the first time allowed to participate in the ski jump, and other athletes fulfilled their Olympic dream, but the Cold War â€Å"magic† was not there. The Western and Russian Media played their share, the United States and Russia are currentlyRead MoreThe Olympic Games: Faster, Higher, Stronger1466 Words   |  6 PagesNations back their athletes financially to ensure they receive a medal. Winning gold in the Olympics Games is seen as the highest honor an athlete can achieve because of its prestigious image. The Olympics have not always been about the athletes. Nations competing have been victims of political scandals. When one country goes against another country, some people do not only view it as a fight for gold, but as a war amongst nations. Soccer fields have become battlegrounds and players, soldiers. SwimmingRead MorePierre de Coubertin and The Modern Olympic Movement Essay1270 Words   |  6 Pagesthe structural. (Frey Eitzen 504) OLYMPIC ORIGINS AND IDEALS Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic movement, was born in 1863, into a family of French nobility. (MacAloon 8) Coubertin was raised during an era of French conflict and transition; the Franco-Prussian War, government instability during the time of the Paris Commune and then move to the French Third Republic, as well as the Dreyfus affair, left the French nation in turmoil during his youth. Inevitably, Coubertin’s characterRead MoreMiracle1423 Words   |  6 Pageswinning the 1980 gold metal for the Winter Olympics, led by head coach Herb Brooks. Miracle was fairly accurate with its historic content during the course of the movie. The director Gavin O’Connor did a good job tying in historical and political background that brought the film together, which made it unique to other sport films. In the beginning of the film there was a sequence highlighting the historical events that lead up to the 1980 Winter Olympics. Miracle specifically opened up with the historical