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The Soviet Union And How They Used Sports Politically

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The Cold War was a time of great stress and friction, especially between the United States and the Soviet Union. As the two superpowers of the War, it was only natural that they would seek support from other nations in a variety of ways. In this paper, I will be specifically looking at the Soviet Union and how they used sports politically. The entirety of my paper is on how they used I will do this by analysing the examples of sport diplomacy, hockey, and basketball. The Soviet Union used these things as a way to gain political support and take popularity away from the United States. During the Cold War, the U.S. and USSR used “all-encompassing effort involving such things as sporting events, cultural attractions, economic activities, education, trade, diplomacy, and scientific achievement.” (Parks, 86) African leaders also wanted to develop sport, thinking of it as a way to engage with the developed world. (Parks, 86) But these countries had to take into account regional concerns while implementing their policies as they sought to influence emerging nations. (Parks, 87) For the Soviet Union, cultural diplomacy failed to convince the world of their peaceful intentions. (Parks, 87) Yale Richmond believes that Soviet cultural exchanges, especially with the United States, led to the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union because it “highlighted its internal contradiction.” (Parks, 88) In 1948, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union

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