Aftermath
Germany Emerges Victorious
Despite Jesse Owens and other Americans’ great victories during the two weeks, Germany beat America 89 medals to 56. For Germany, the Olympics wasn’t just a literal victory; it was a symbolic victory as well. Hundreds of international journalists claimed the Berlin Olympics were the grandest and most opulent Games ever, there was great praise on the generosity and hospitality of the Germans, and foreign visitors were overall extremely pleased by the entire event. The Nazis had effectively accomplished their predominant objective for hosting the Games: they had gained respect and trust from other nations.
The Games Are Over
Perhaps it was fortunate that the Berlin Olympics ended on such a high note, for there would be no games for a dozen years. The 1940 games, originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo, were cancelled when it was evident that the war that had just broken out was not set to end as quickly as previously thought. Not long after, the 1944 games had to be cancelled as well as the fighting raged on. The Nazi Olympics had only put Hitler’s plans on a temporary hold. When the Games ended, the Nazis continued their persecution of Jews and Hitler began his grandiose scheme for expansion. Once Hitler invaded Poland, war became inevitable. Suddenly, the friendly and hospitable masks the Germans had wore during the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics fell away to reveal the oppressive Nazis behind them.