HIST 3121A: Sports in the Cold War

HIST 3121A: Sports in the Cold War

Fall 2025

“Sports and politics should not mix.”

We’ve all heard that adage before. But whether or not you believe they should mix, they most certainly always have, especially in the politically tumultuous 20th century.

The Cold War was an ideological battle between communism and capitalism that dominated the world from 1945 to 1991. Sports competitions became the primary way that the Soviet Union and countries in Europe and North America “battled” each other as a means of avoiding direct military conflict. In this class, we will focus on sport as a lens through which to view Cold War societies and cultures and as a unique way of viewing Cold War rivalries. We will look at topics such as: the role of gender, race, class, ableism, sexuality, and other themes in sports history; the emergence of performance-enhancing drugs; the politics of the Olympic Games; the goals and effectiveness of sports boycotts; and the ways in which each side demonized the other’s athletes as part of a bigger cultural battle for the victory of the communist or capitalist worldview.

I am a historian of the Soviet Union; while the Cold War was a global conflict, we will focus geographically on the Soviet Union, Europe, and North America, with brief comparative case studies from Cuba, China, and South Africa.

Assignments:

Regular reading quizzes, one essay, and an in-class mid-term and final exam. Attendance and discussion participation are required for success in this course.

Texts:

Readings will consist of journal articles available electronically through the library catalogue and primary source documents available online.

Prerequisites:

Students are required to have completed at least one 2000-level history course or have third-year standing and 1.0 credit in history. Other than that, athletes and couch fans are welcome, history majors as well as those from other programs – but be aware that this is not an introductory course. We will practice mastering primary source and historiographical analysis skills that you will have learned in first- and second-year courses.

Questions? Feel free to email me at erica.fraser@carleton.ca