Since the inception in 1896 the Olympic Games has been used by nations and groups to make political statements.Discuss how the Olympic ideal has been undermined by social and political protest.

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Since the inception in 1896 the Olympic Games has been used by nations and groups to make political statements.

Discuss how the Olympic ideal has been undermined by social and political protest.

In attempting to answer the question I will cover the following points firstly defining the key terms. I will then give a brief historical overview of the issue of how the Olympic Games has been used by nations and groups to make political statements.Using examples from the Olympic games I will discuss how the Olympic ideal has been undermined by social and political protest. To conclude I will review the current issue of politics and the Olympics and where I think it will go in the future.

The Olympic ideal is amateurism, playing for the love of sport not for the money. This is what De Coubertin believed the Olympics should be about, also he believed the Olympics should be used to bring countries out of war with each other and bring them together. When talking about the Olympics and protests that have gone on in the Olympics, there are a few terms that come up. A non-systematic protest is a protest that is taken out by a social group. For example Tommy Smith and John Carlos with the gloved salute to represent 'Black Power' in Mexico 1968. Another term is a systematic protest which is a protest demonstrated by a nation as a whole. For example the mass boycott in Moscow 1980. This took place because of the USSR's invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the USA did not approve of this so boycotted the games. Reconciliation is where you make up for something that has happened in the past. An example of this is the awarding of the 1964 games to Tokyo to heal old wounds following the bombing of Horishima on the 6th August 1945. Recognition is where you recognise someones achievements. For example the entry of East Germany as an independant state and its success in Munich 1972. Propaganda is the organised dissemination of information to assist or damge political cause. An example of this is in Berlin 1936 where Hitler tried to use the games to promote his super race. Devolution basically means independance, and this happened in Sydney 2000. Finally we have corruption, this happened in Salt Lake city 2002.

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The Olympic Charter opposes any political abuse of sport but ironically such occurences are not new. In 1916, the games were cancelled because of the first world war, this then had an effect on the next games in 1920 where five countries including Germany and Turkey were excluded because of their involvement with the war. In 1940, the games were cancelled due to the second world war, and in the next games in 1948, invitations to Germany and Japan were cancelled due to their involvement. The East German Machine was a development that grew out of the use of sport ...

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