The Olympics and Politics
The idea behind the Olympics is lighthearted international competition meant to foster friendly relations between states, regardless of what may be going on in the greater international political community. However, this has proved to not always be the case as it was with the 1980 Olympics. Much of the western community was greatly opposed to the USSR invasion of Afghanistan, and their staunch opposition to the campaign was reflected in their decision to boycott the Moscow Olympics. This did not stop the USSR though, and the games were still a great hit within Moscow and those who attended. Many tickets were sold (although the most were taken by Soviets, but this may just be due to the fact that they were hosting the games and not because as many nations were not attending the games) and the events were reportedly enjoyed by all those who went. In addition to still providing a great source of entertainment, the preparation and execution of the Olympics provided many jobs and economics opportunities for the citizens of Moscow, as well as the city itself. Infrastructure was greatly improved to help deal with the large influx of people who would be flocking to the city to view the games, and a massive cleanup effort was undertaken to make the city look mighty. Were it not for the boycott by the United States and others, the games might have been a great hit, but politics got the best of the international community in this contest.
Worth noting is the fact that the USSR and many communist countries boycotted the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, for ‘security reasons’. However, it does not take a rocket scientist to understand that this was probably done as a response of the boycott of the Moscow games. The claims of security issues were not without reason however, as an article published in the USSR cited many acts of violence occurring up to and the day of the opening ceremonies in LA. Still though, the USSR’s decision to boycott the US Olympics looks more like retribution for the 1980 boycott instead of a genuine concern of violence against their athletes, because everyone knows the the Soviets always like the opportunity to prove they are better than any capitalist society, and the Olympics always provide a great arena for this to be proved.
Links:
http://dlib.eastview.com/browse/doc/19982340
http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subject&SubjectID=1980olympics&Year=1980&navi=byYear
December 2, 2013 @ 8:54 pm
It really is phenomenal how much politics play into all aspects of life.The Olympics are supposed to take peoples minds off of all of the problems and issues in the world and unite everyone, if only for a short while. Yet in many cases, such as in 1980 and 1984, a few countries always use the event to make a political statement. It is a shame that even in the modern era we can’t set aside our differences for just a few weeks to enjoy the amazing abilities of the worlds greatest athletes.
December 2, 2013 @ 9:34 pm
I completely agree with Connor’s assertion that politics plays a major role in events throughout the world, even those that are meant to unite the divided masses. His comment about the fact that a few countries use the political arena to make a political statement to me only rings true for countries that hold influence throughout the world. The absence of a country such as the United States or the Soviet Union would have surely made an impact, however, I doubt that an absence from a small 3rd world country would be noted.
December 2, 2013 @ 10:40 pm
Its sad that what is supposed to be a time and event where countries can put aside their differences and compete in friendly competition became drowned in messy politics. While in these cases the countries boycotting were big names, even a small nation can boycott to send a message. A message does not always have to be loud.
December 3, 2013 @ 12:28 pm
I also wrote about the 1970 Olympics. One of my favorite things when researching this event was the iconic bear they used. I also thought it set a interesting tone when the United States along with many other countries decided to boycott the Olympics. The following Olympics in Los Angles, the Soviet Union boycotted them. It shows the rocky relationship the U.S and Soviet Union has had over the years.
December 3, 2013 @ 12:41 pm
I really liked this post, especially the way that you connected the Soviet’s 1984 boycott of the LA Olympics back to the United States boycott of the Moscow Olympics four years earlier. I had never really thought about it in the way, but it makes sense that the Soviet Union would be boycotting more out of spite than for ‘security reasons’. It just goes to show how many politics are really involved in things (like the Olympics) that in theory should not have anything to do with them.
December 3, 2013 @ 12:44 pm
Great post! I agree with your statement about the 1984 Soviet boycott. They just did it for political reasons. I also liked your summary of the 1980 games its interesting that so much economic gain was created by these games. Maybe more russian cities should have held events such as this.
December 4, 2013 @ 2:59 am
As many other people mentioned, it is so interesting how politics seeps into every part of life, even things like sports. This post definitely highlights that point, but it’s something I’ve noticed as a theme throughout the whole Soviet era. From defining how books should be written to creating a strict education curriculum to boycotting the Olympics, it is clear that politics in the USSR (and in other countries too) were not merely about the government – they affected every aspect of life to a certain extent.
December 4, 2013 @ 10:54 pm
I really enjoy learning about the role of sports in history and this blog was done very well, insightful. Was good to know that the Olympics was still a success somewhat, prior to reading this, after seeing the word boycott, I assumed it had gone badly.
December 6, 2013 @ 7:10 pm
It truly is a shame that a friendly and world renowned event such as the Olympics would be disrupted as a result of one nations aggression against another during the time period, whether the reasons were valid or not. And the fact that back to back Olympics were undermined due to political differences shows the arrogance and immaturity of the nations involved. The Olympics, no matter where they are held, for the most part, should be a time of international unity and cooperation, not an opportunity to pull off a politically motivated stunt to try and revere dominance over someone else.
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