The Olympics and politics, 1896-1936

The purpose of this study was to examine the political influence on Olympics between the 1896 Athens and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Articles from various sources such as relevant books, magazines, newspapers and Internet articles were used to understand the ideals that the Olympics are based on and whether they were corrupted by politics. Ball State University and IUPUI Library databases along with the Internet were used to collect the data. Baron Pierre De Coubertin, a French aristocrat, introduced the Olympics to the modern world. He believed that a worldwide competition of amateur athletes could develop international understanding. The Olympics started with enthusiasm to promote amateur participation, peace, and cultural integration with only amateur participants who were not involved for materialistic reasons. The games gained prestige over the years and produced global attention as a worldwide organization. The games were corrupted by politics shortly after their attraction was realized.School of Physical EducationThesis (M.A.