THE BIENNIAL NAZI TRIBUTE

One of the most iconic traditions of the Olympic games is the torch relay carrying the fire from Olympia to the site of the competition to light the Olympic Flame. This bit of theater originated as a Nazi propaganda stunt for the 1936 games in Berlin.

Adolf Hitler originally was opposed to hosting the Olympics--he considered them a decadent invention of "Jews and Freemasons." However, he did love showmanship, and his myrmidon Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Propaganda, convinced him in 1934 of the golden opportunity the games would provide to demonstrate German superiority. Hitler and Goebbels were thus very receptive to the suggestion of Carl Diem, the secretary general of the organizing committee for the games,  that a 1500 mile (2400 kilometer) torch relay from Greece to Germany would be the cat's meow.

Parenthetically, although Diem was a Nazi, he lobbied to allow German Jews the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. His efforts in this regard were less than successful.

So, whenever you watch the dramatic sequences of an Olympic torchbearer bringing the fire to the games, just remember that you are being subjected to a Nazi-inspired ritual.

For further information on the origin of the torch relay, see this article in The Atlantic.

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