London’s 1948 Olympics: The Real Austerity Games

Focus Question: How did the 1948 London Olympics rejuvenate London in the post-World War II era?

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In 1948, the United States was clearly the world’s most powerful nation, the dollar had supplanted the sterling, and Britain was just trying to rebuild. The prime-minister’s priority was to find jobs for the millions of demobilized servicemen, convert factories back to peacetime use, rebuild Britain’s shattered infrastructure and fin the resources for a welfare state.
Other European countries were in worse state that English and therefore London agreed to host the first games since Hitler’s carefully orchestrated Berlin Olympics 12 years earlier. The Berlin games were Hitler’s opportunity to show his dominance to the world and prove the greatness of Germany. London wanted none of their in their games and they purposefully made them short on bombast, the finale to the opening ceremony just the release of thousands of pigeons above London.
No new Olympic stadium, no new velodrome, aquatics center, or handball arena either. Male athletes were hose in Royal Air Force camps; female athletes were housed in London colleges. The organizers provided bedding but asked contestants to bring their own towels.
Despite the austerity and the air of shabbiness, London 1948 was considered a remarkable success. After six years without a professional football or cricket team, there was an appetite for sports and those who took part noted now the games were faithful to the original ideal that the important thing was not winning but taking part.
Additionally the wonders of the event were broadcast for the first time on British television, as the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) paid 1,050 pounds for broadcasting rights. However, due to the television capabilities of the time, on those who lived in a 25 mile radius and owned a television could actually enjoy this televised spectacle. Nonetheless, this new medium helped to promote the Games in a way never seen before by the British public, as the spirit of the event captured the nation.
Britain took on this opportunity to host the games as a way to demonstrate to the world that the worst effects of the war were now behind them. This spirit was no clearer portrayed than by the words of the founding father of the modern Olympic games Baron Pierre de Coubertin which hung in the stadium. “The most important thing in the Olympics Games in not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well”
Larry Elliot, Economics Editor of the Guardian
Friday March 30th 2012
Excerpted from the longer article

Londoners’ memories of the 1948 Olympic Games

Focus Question: How did the 1948 London Olympics rejuvenate London in the post-World War II era?

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“After the war, everyone was trying to get back to being civilians. People were far more nationalistic back then. A lot of people came and spent a lot of money. It was really something to see- crowds of tiers of people. It was a fantastic thing to sit in the middle of. When you sit in a crowd like that you are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of people there.”
Alfred Graham
July 23, 2010
Age 91 (age 38 at 1948 Olympics)
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“I’ll always remember the 1948 Olympics because it was the first event we’d had after the war. It was so unique because of all the troubles we’d had. It was a pleasure to be able to go and do something that you couldn’t do for all those years of the war. After the war, it was such as release to have something like the Olympic Games. I think it was a lift for everybody because we’d been through such a terrible time. It really did lift the nation. It was a great event, it really was”
Ron Godden
July 23, 2010
Age 75 (age 13 at 1948 Olympics)

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Keep It or Junk It - Summary

Focus Question: How did the 1948 London Olympics rejuvenate London in the post-World War II era?

Claim:

The 1948 London Olympics rejuvenated London in the post-World War II era by

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Rationale B: ______

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