In 1924, the world witnessed the Olympics in Paris, with athletes from 44 nations competing in 126 events across 17 sports. It was a remarkable reminder of the power of sports to transcend political strife and bring unity.
Less than five years before, the First World War had come to an end, leaving a profound sense of horror at the new age of warfare, with unprecedented loss of life. France, the host of the Olympics, had lost a staggering 1.4 million men in battle. Great Britain had lost 880,000 men, and the United States, a late entrant to the fighting, had lost nearly 120,000 men. It was a war like none before it.
Some of the war’s most horrifying battles had taken place just a few years before on France’s own ground. The Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Verdun, the Battle of the Marne are just a few of the battles we still remember today as being some of the deadliest in all of history.
In 1924, the Olympics games that summer were a way of re-establishing norms in post-war Europe. Wars expose the destructiveness of human nature, and the worst of what human beings can do to each other. The Olympics, by contrast, have always been a way of showcasing the other side of human capabilities.
Fast forward one hundred years to today, and the 2024 Olympics are again in Paris.........