Nazi Use of Sport for Propaganda

Hitler was not really interested in holding the 1936 Olympics, which were awarded to Germany in 1931 before he came to power. The Olympics were given to Berlin as a consolation for the 1916 Olympics games scheduled for Berlin that were canceled due to the outbreak of WWI. But after some prodding by Goebbels, Hitler saw the potential benefits that the games could bring to Germany. Goebbels was given control of the games by Hitler, and he took full advantage to show the “new Germany” to the world. The Nazi’s hoped also to use the Olympics for a massive influx of foreign currency from tens of thousands of tourists that would travel to Germany for the games. The Nazi administration spent 42 million reichmarks building a 325 acre Olympic complex located on the planned site of the 1916 games. Within Germany an Aryan only policy was quickly established in picking the German Olympic Team, but the Nazi party worked tirelessly to hide any of these policies from the outside world. Formerly omnipresent “Jews Not Welcome” signs had quickly disappeared from Berlin. Nazi storm troopers were ordered to refrain from any actions against German Jews, which was amusing to many in Berlin, including foreign journalists who knew better. Anti-Jewish publications were taken off newsstands. Opposingly, anyone who wanted to interview any Berlin Jews was required to contact the Gestapo first and then they were closely watched until they departed the country. Tourists and athletes entered Berlin in mid-July of 1936. The city had been scrubbed clean, and any undesirable individuals were swept off the streets and ominously sent to detention camps outside of the city. Everywhere people went they saw the Olympic rings hung next to the Swastika. The Olympics accomplished exactly what Goebbels had desired, hundreds of foreign journalists acknowledged that Germany had held the biggest and most lavish Olympics to date. Thousands of tourists also left Germany with fond memories; courtesy from the Nazi’s. People marveled about the fantastic facilities and precise efficiency of the games. The Nazi’s had successfully used the Olympic Games to gain respectability throughout the world. Ironically this was to be the last Olympics for twelve years, due to the outbreak of a war that Hitler was already planning. It was also not the first use of sports as a propaganda tool.