The Cold Was Partly Fought During the Olympics
The Cold War was partly fought in the Olympics Games. Discuss.
The Cold War was a ‘war’ fought from 1947 to 1991, a battle fought with tension and subdued hostility, in which most of the world was affected. The main ‘participants’ in this war were America and its allies, against Russia and the aligning countries with that nation. Instead of fighting the war straight up, the countries played it out in more subtle ways.1 Politics have been involved in the Olympics for a long time2, and the Cold War was partially fought during the Olympics also. The water polo game in 1952 Melbourne Olympics boycotts in the 1980 Moscow games and also the 1956 Helsinki Games all have proof that the Cold War has to do with some of the events that happened during those games.
The 1952 Olympics were held in Helsinki, Finland. . These games largely reflected on the Cold War. The Soviet Union finally returned to the Games after being away since 1912. But, instead of living in the same Olympic Village with all the other athletes, they set up their own little village for Eastern countries near the Soviet Naval Base. These soviet athletes were followed around by Soviet officials everywhere so they would be able avoid communication with other athletes. The games were dominated by ‘East vs. West’ competition. Bob Mathias, an athlete from the United states, who won the decathlon for the second time, stated: “There were many more pressures on American athletes because of the Russians. . . . They were in a sense the real enemy. You just loved to beat 'em. You just had to beat 'em. . . . This feeling was strong down through the entire team.” 3
The 1956 Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia, the first ever games held in the Southern Hemisphere. There were two major political events that occurred before the opening of the games. Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon boycotted the games in protest to the invasion of Egypt by Israel. The Netherlands, Spain, and the Switzerland boycotted the games in
The Cold War was a ‘war’ fought from 1947 to 1991, a battle fought with tension and subdued hostility, in which most of the world was affected. The main ‘participants’ in this war were America and its allies, against Russia and the aligning countries with that nation. Instead of fighting the war straight up, the countries played it out in more subtle ways.1 Politics have been involved in the Olympics for a long time2, and the Cold War was partially fought during the Olympics also. The water polo game in 1952 Melbourne Olympics boycotts in the 1980 Moscow games and also the 1956 Helsinki Games all have proof that the Cold War has to do with some of the events that happened during those games.
The 1952 Olympics were held in Helsinki, Finland. . These games largely reflected on the Cold War. The Soviet Union finally returned to the Games after being away since 1912. But, instead of living in the same Olympic Village with all the other athletes, they set up their own little village for Eastern countries near the Soviet Naval Base. These soviet athletes were followed around by Soviet officials everywhere so they would be able avoid communication with other athletes. The games were dominated by ‘East vs. West’ competition. Bob Mathias, an athlete from the United states, who won the decathlon for the second time, stated: “There were many more pressures on American athletes because of the Russians. . . . They were in a sense the real enemy. You just loved to beat 'em. You just had to beat 'em. . . . This feeling was strong down through the entire team.” 3
The 1956 Olympics were held in Melbourne, Australia, the first ever games held in the Southern Hemisphere. There were two major political events that occurred before the opening of the games. Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon boycotted the games in protest to the invasion of Egypt by Israel. The Netherlands, Spain, and the Switzerland boycotted the games in