The Cold War and the 1984 Olympic Games A Soviet-American Surrogate War

During the Cold War, states found alternative means of warring with each other to meet foreign policy goals. Sports competitions, including the right to host events, transformed from celebratory competitions to surrogates for warfare. The battles to host the 1976, 1980, and 1984 Summer Olympics became highly symbolic opportunities for conflict as the two superpowers fought to prove who could provide a better Olympic experience. Using a framework of political theory, D'Agati explains the Soviet boycott of 1984 as the result of a complex series of events and policies that culminated in a strategic decision to not participate in Los Angeles. Original and comprehensive, The Cold War and the 1984 Olympic Games is a significant study for scholars of international relations, Soviet and US histories, sports studies, and anyone interested in the unique politics of the Olympic Games.

Philip A. D'Agati is an Assistant Academic Specialist in Political Science and International Relations at Northeastern University, USA. He received an MA in Comparative Politics, an MA in World History, and a PhD in Political Science from Northeastern University. He is a researcher of nationalism, international organizations, and the role of sport in international politics. He is the author of Nationalism on the World Stage: Cultural Performance at the Olympic Games.

1. The Surrogate War, the Boycott, and the Search for a Hidden Story
2. A Primer on Politics in the Olympics
3. Soviet Sports History and the Olympic Movement
4. Montreal, Moscow, and Los Angeles: Bidding for the Games
5. 1980: An American Winter and a Soviet Summer
6. The LAOOC and Soviet Reasons for Not Attending
7. Socialist Inconsistencies and the Security Issue
8. Conclusions on Surrogate Wars, Nested Games, and Soviet Sports Policy