Nationalism, Mass Politics, and Sport: Cold War Case Studies at Seven Degrees

This study examines the role of sports in international relations during the Cold War. The era of nationalism and total war in the 20th century produced one of the most violent periods in European history prior to, and including, World War II. The masses were mobilized around myths, legends, and sym...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Buckel, Bart A
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ANCIENT OLYMPICS
ATHLETES
ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS
BATTLEFIELDS
CANADA
CANADA VS USSR
CAPITALISM
CASE STUDIES
COLD WAR
COMMUNISM
COMPETITION
CULTURAL PROPAGANDA
CULTURE
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
CZECHOSLOVAKIA VS USSR
DE COUBERTIN PIERRE
DIPLOMACY
GERMAN FASCISM
GERMANY
Government and Political Science
GOVERNMENT(FOREIGN)
GYMNASTICS
HISTORY
Humanities and History
ICE HOCKEY COMPETITIONS
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
ITALIAN FASCISM
ITALY
MASS POLITICS
MOBILIZATION
MODERN OLYMPICS
NATIONAL IDENTITY
NATIONALISM
NAZI GERMANY
PHYSICAL CULTURE
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY
PRAGUE SPRING
PROPAGANDA
SOCIALISM
SPORTING COMPETITIONS
SPORTS
THESES
UNITED STATES
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
UNITED STATES VS USSR
USSR
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Summary:This study examines the role of sports in international relations during the Cold War. The era of nationalism and total war in the 20th century produced one of the most violent periods in European history prior to, and including, World War II. The masses were mobilized around myths, legends, and symbols of extraordinary power. Sports and physical culture were viewed initially as a means of creating societies more fit for war and quickly became a tremendous social movement. Sports became a primary medium through which superiority propaganda was transmitted by various clubs, interest groups, governments, and states. Governments realized sports and physical culture's political potential, and the United States and USSR became fully engaged in a war fought on ersatz battlefields consisting of soccer pitches, track fields, and hockey arenas during the Cold War. The 20th century, particularly the Cold War era, provides several examples of sporting events deliberately planned with political gain in mind and instances in which sporting results were intentionally exploited for governmental gain. The study of the history of such events provides one with a better understanding of the appeal of nationalist movements and how they can spiral out of control, leading to violent nationalism if left unchecked.