The Olympic Games in Munich of 1972

1606 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The impact of the Berlin wall

“No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas” (Advertising, Demonstrations, Propaganda* 98). This rule shows just what the Germans were hoping for, a peaceful, passive, war-free environment in which countries can get together and compete. Although we all know that quite the antithesis was upon the 1972 Olympics in Munich between September the fifth and September the sixth. The Munich Massacre, one of the worst massacres of all time, was driven by the vengefulness of the Palestinian group known as Black September, towards the people of Israel, or more relevantly, towards their Olympic team (Rosenberg). Since this confrontation between Palestine and Israel has been going on for such a long time, the conflict was ultimately inevitable. Or was it? The tragedy at the 1972 Munich Olympics stunned the world by the murders of the Israeli Olympic team, but the fact that it could have been prevented is completely unacceptable.

Tensions were very high at these Olympics, mainly because that these were the first Olympic Games held in Germany since the Nazis hosted the Games in 1936 (Rosenberg). Though for some, it was never going to be easy to forget the recent, and quite frankly, horrific past. The Olympic Park had been built just six miles from the Dachau concentration camp, one of the largest concentration camps ever (Burnton). For all 42 representatives of Israel, these Olympics had a deeper meaning than everyone else. Citizens of Israel, many of them Holocaust survivors themselves, or their children, were returning to the Germany. Whose government had, only one generation ago, set out to wipe their people from the earth, and marching with pride...

... middle of paper ...

...eguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/may/02/50-stunning-olympic-moments-munich-72

Chivo, Jack. Straight.com. N.p., 20 July 2012. Web

http://www.straight.com/news/jack-chivo-why-munich-olympics-massacre-remains-fresh-my-mind

Gal-Or, Noemi. "Domestic vs. International Terrorism." World Terrorism. Sharpe Online

Reference (2014): n. pag. Web. 27 Feb 2014. http://www.sharpe-online.com/SOLR/a/show-content/fullarticle/23/Book022-PART1-article37

"Olympics Massacre: Munich - The Real Story." The Independent. Independent Digital News

and Media, 22 Jan. 2006. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/olympics-massacre-munich--the-real-story-524011.htm

Rosenberg, Jennifer. "Munich Massacre." About.com 20th Century History. N.p., n.d. Web. 02

Mar. 2014. http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/p/munichmassacre.htm

Show More
Related

  • 1936 Olympics Research Paper

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1931, before the Weimar Republic was seized by National Socialists, Berlin was announced by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to be the location of the 11th Olympic Games. Since the Games origins in Athens, the Olympics have evolved to introduce the code of equality of all races and faiths for nations- all of which was controversial during the Third Reich. However, because of the aftermath of World War I, many accounts suggest that the Nazi regime used the 1936 Olympic games as a showcase of the transformation of the country. But due to many restrictions placed around committees, historians can trace that anti-Semitic ideas and beliefs were abundant during the Games. Due to much controversy, some of the restrictions were to be revoked

    Read More

  • Controversy In The Berlin Olympics

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    The controversy in Berlin Olympic Games was that the some of the Jews excluded from the Olympic team were actually world class athletes. The athletes left Germany, along with other Jewish athletes, to resume their sports careers abroad.The Nazis also disqualified Gypsies.The Olympics were intended to be an exercise in goodwill among all nations emphasizing racial equality in the area of sports competition. But the Nazis thought that only the Aryans should participate in the Olympics games to represent Germany.Then after that controversy then the committee of the Games wanted to move the Olympic Games to another country.This was because usually the U.S. got the most medals because they sent the most athletes.

    Read More

  • Olympic Games Dbq

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...n countries. This affected the games by shaping how people viewed the games and the peace they would bring. An information guide provided to members of the press uses a similar ideal (Doc #6) the Soviet Union had a bad reputation since they were communists and it was looked down upon. The Olympic organizing committee wanted the Soviet Union to appear as if they were peaceful and democratic as propaganda. Ali Kabir (Doc #10) a sports writer for the Internet edition of English-language Pakistani newspaper deals with the feeling of a newly created nation might have towards proving to the world that they are just as competent as the nation that they had gotten their independence from. A good additional document would be a poster for the Olympics. This would be helpful because it would promote the Olympics that were trying to create unity and peace throughout the nations.

    Read More

  • One Day In September Analysis

    1527 Words  | 4 Pages

    held in Munich Germany, a land of past tradgeys and wanted to reunite as a

    Read More

  • How did the holocaust end and what happened afterwards?

    1665 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...one of the darkest periods of history, filled with madness and murder. Following the war many people asked why the Jews succumbed to the Nazis like “Lamb at the slaughter”. One cannot forget or ignore the many shows of resistance amongst the Jews such as the Jews who fought in the forest of Eastern Europe and also the Jews who started the uprising in ghettos and in concentration camps. One result of the Holocaust is that the state of Israel was no doubt established because of the Holocaust. As a result of the great catastrophe which occurred to the Jewish people many nations realized that establishing a state was a necessary step for the protection of Jews. With the end of the war and the unconditional surrender, international courts were set up for the quick trials and sentencing of the Nazis for their war crimes against the Jewish people and against all humanity.

    Read More

  • Nazi Olympics

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    Theme:     Many events of The Nazi Olympics surround this sporting festival to make it one of the controversial events in sport history. Not only does Mandell cover the 1936 Olympic Games themselves but he gives insight to the history of the modern games, participation by the United States, the role of the games in the Nazi propaganda efforts and portrays heroes and key figures. Mandell wrote about the intersection of sport and politics and how world leaders set the agenda, not the athletes. The Nazi’s used the 1936 Olympic Games as a way to reinforce their political and racial goals. Although they were founded as part of a vision of world peace, the 1936 games became a stage for political disputes.     The Nazi Olympics takes an in depth look at the efforts the Germans made to show the rest of the world that they had again become a powerful nation under the leader of Adolf Hitler. The events that followed the games in Germany, mainly the Holocaust and World War II overshadowed the Berlin games. However, it is very important to note that a world gathering like the Olympics took place in a country that was in the process of eliminating an entire race of people. The games were a huge success in regards to the Nazi regime, they were able to fool the world and prove to Germany that they were a peaceful and stable nation.

    Read More

  • Holocaust Bystanders Essay

    1188 Words  | 3 Pages

    If the individuals, governments, and countries would have stood up for what they knew was right, the Holocaust would have ended before it did. Just like society now, we don't care about something if it doesn't directly impact us.

    Read More

  • Nazi Olympics

    2693 Words  | 6 Pages

    On 13 May 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin. The choice seemed to signal Germany's return to the world community after defeat in World War I. Berlin had forty-three votes, and Barcelona, Spain, the other option, had sixteen. The choice showed that Germany was being included once more in the world community. It also showed the International Olympic committee’s respect for Dr. Theodor Lewald, and Carl Diem, German sports leaders. Both men had been the planners for the 1916 Olympics that was scheduled, but was cancelled. Since then, they have been urging the Olympics to attempt to go back to Germany. Both Lewald and Diem were very pleased with the results (Mandell The Nazi Olympics 39).

    Read More

  • The Consequences Of The Munich Massacre: What Causes?

    564 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Munich Massacre (5th – 6th September 1972), a planned terrorist attack happening against the backdrop of the Summer Olympics, was a key statement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that carries on to this day. The attack began when eight Palestinian terrorists killed two members of the Israeli Olympic team before taking a further nine hostage. All of the captives were killed along with five Black September members during a large fire fight. Following the massacre, the Israeli government organized retaliation, codename: Operation Wrath of God. The legacy is reflected by the large number of retaliatory deaths, overall effect upon the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the significant development of Counter terrorist agencies around the world.

    Read More

  • Ancient Olympics

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Ancient Greek Olympics were not only sporting events, it was a celebration to honor the great and powerful Zeus. The Ancient Olympics were held every four years at the famous Olympia, a district of Elis, here all free Greek men were allowed to compete. The first record of the Olympic Games was held in 776 B.C. The main sports were the Pentathlon, the Equestrian Events, Pankration, and Boxing.

    Read More

  • Olympic Swimming

    1280 Words  | 3 Pages

    Finish, Finish, Go, and Go you just set the new world record. Every four years lots of people gather around a pool cheering for Olympians. It is a very noisy place. A lot of Olympians that are part of the summer Olympics are very athletic, they swim all year around. The swimming Olympic history and background is very interesting. They have done so many new things over that past couple of years. They come out with new rules every year to make things more fair and challenging. There are a lot of events and tons of records that have been broke. A lot of Olympians have set future goals to stride for. I was swimming the 200 meter fly I was at a really good time when I had 50 meter sprint left at the end all I could think about was I’m going to set the new world record. Olympic swimming is a very fun sport it is very athletic. Every year in the summer time every one always sits around a TV watching this it is very famous in America. Swimmers from all around the world come and here and compete. There is a lot of competition there I have found out a lot about the history of swimming. There are a lot of events and tons of records that have been broke. A lot of Olympians have set future goals to stride for.

    Read More

  • Politics and its affect on the olympics

    1561 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1935, the U.S. decided to attend the ‘36 Berlin games, even though the United States knew how Hitler was persecuting the Jews. By July 1933, at least 27,000 people had been placed in what Hitler liked to call “detention camps” (Hart-Davis 16). In early 1932 at an IOC meeting in Barcelona, the committee decided to grant Germany the right to the 1936 Olympic Games, which allowed Germany to restore their athletic reputation that they lost because of the outbreak of World War I. All over the world, there was an outcry to boycott or at least change the location of the ‘36 Olympics. The IOC’s first response was that they had granted Germany the Olympic site before the Nazis’ came to power. All over Germany before the Olympic Games were signs that read Juden Unerwunscht, or “Jews not wanted.” “The racial discrimination- so obvious and deliberate- was more than some foreign sports organizations could stomach. Apart from being offensive to normal human beings, the Nazi attitude was also diametrically opposed to the principle of free competition on which the Olympics were supposed to based” (Hart Davis 62).

    Read More

  • The Beijing Olympic Games: The History Of The Beijing Olympics

    1546 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Beijing Olympics were one of the most iconic global sporting event in recent memory. During the course of the 19 day spectacle 205 countries competed, 37 world records were broken and roughly 4.7 billion people tuned in worldwide. The whole world watched as Usain Bolt became the fastest man to ever live and Michael Phelps won, an astonishing, eight gold medals in aquatics. However, these games were about so much more than sports. In the decades before the 2000’s China had faded into the background and was more or less irrelevant when it came to world super powers. Therefore, these games were about China exhibiting their recently attained wealth and power. The games provided a massive stage for the most up and coming country in the early 21st century. Forty four billion dollars was spent on this Olympics, the most ever. The Olympiad allowed for a global stage for China to flex its muscles just as it had done so many times in its history and the country succeeded in this display. China used the opportunity of the Beijing Olympics to showcase its massive wealth, cultural values and advancement in technology; the games served as both China’s celebration and solidification in the role as a world power.

    Read More

  • The History Of The Olympic Games

    1381 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. Well-known throughout the world the games have been used to promote understanding and friendship among nations, but have also been a hotbed of political disputes and boycotts. The Olympic games started thousands of years ago and lasted over a millennium.. The symbolic power of the Games lived on after their demise, and came to life again as the modern Olympic Games being revived in the last century. Both the modern and Ancient Olympics have close similarities in there purpose and in there problems.

    Read More

  • Olympic Games

    1174 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Olympic Games were a vital part of Greek culture which was heavily influenced by athletics. Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest presentation of athletic skill and competitive spirit. Thousands of athletes and spectators participate in this universal event. Revived in 1896, the Olympic Games had their beginnings in ancient Greece, and since then the event is very much comparable to modern Olympic events.

    Read More

More about The Olympic Games in Munich of 1972

Open Document