In the 20th century the Olympic Games have been the world's largest exhibition of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce, cultural superiority, and politics. Olympics and politics have been linked to one another in many significant and intricate ways. Throughout the 20th century, the popularity of Olympic sports has made politics a powerful international tool. The Olympics have been used as scenes for patriotic displays to emphasize the superiority of a particular political system and to enhance the international prestige. The Olympics, reestablished in the beginning of the 20th century by a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, began as a system that promotes fair play and sportsmanship but as political influence grew there came hatred, and petty jealously through structured competition and nationalism. There are many examples of the idealism of the Olympics that can be traced throughout 20th century. In...