How the Olympics Influenced History Research Paper

How the Olympics Influenced History - Research Paper Example This paper is critical analysis of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, with special focus on the historical significance of that particular global event. Historians refer the 1936 Olympic Games in various terms, including â€Å"Hitler Olympics† and â€Å"propaganda Olympics†. Some of the factors that made the event remarkable include the features and facilities installed in the venues, use of modern telecommunication technology and the propaganda propagated by the Nazi government in addition to exemplar performance by the participating athletes. By the time Berlin City was granted the right to host Olympic Games, Germany was under the leadership of Weimer, but in 1933, Adolf Hitler took over the government heralding one of the most momentous and eventful eras in history. The coming to power of Adolf Hitler transformed the growing and delicate democracy into an absolute dictatorial country, under one party rule, the National Socialist German Workers Party popularly referred as Nazi (Rippon, 78-85) Hitler’s ascendancy to power in 1933 elicited widespread concern in the world, throwing the 1936 Olympic Games in jeopardy. United States and several European democracies questioned the morality of supporting and sponsoring Olympic Games under Hitler’s oppressive regime. ... In order to make Aryans the dominant race in Germany, Hitler passed laws that authorized doctors to conduct sterilization by force on colored people, psychiatric patients and people with physical disabilities (Kass, 225). The Jews in German experienced the most severe crackdown characterized by physical assaults, economic boycotts on their interests, and forced expulsion from government jobs and other professions. In addition, they were excluded from social places such as recreation amenities. Moreover, Jews were prohibited from engaging in intermarriages with the Aryan race (Kass, 226). According to Rippon (152), Nazi leadership used the Olympic Games to promote the superiority of the Aryan race. German citizens that were not of Aryan ancestry were excluded from the German team, and sports facilities. In addition, they were condemned to poorly equipped facilities that severely limited their abilities to compete in the 1936 Olympic Games (Rippon, 163). The reports on persecution of J ewish athletes in Germany in 1933 reached organizers of the Olympic Games, which responded by the sending observers in the country to asses the situation. Young (144) notes that the American Olympic committee strongly condemned the unfolding events in Germany, by asserting that the basis of Olympic Games revitalization would be severely undermined by the limiting participation of athletes on grounds of race, creed or race. Several member nations in the Olympic committee considered Germany to be denied the right to host the games. In view of the growing concern from global leaders, the German government embarked on a well orchestrated propaganda aimed at impressing the world on its