Five Brothers and a War

XI Olympiad—1936 Summer Games

The German team “won” the Olympic Games, garnering 89 medals (33 Gold, 26 Silver and 30 Bronze), with the USA coming in a distant second with 56 (24/20/12). Holland placed ninth, with a total of 17 (6/4/7) and Canada was seventeenth, with nine (1/3/5). Hitler was thrilled with the results, because it showed German legitimacy internationally, first by hosting a successful Olympiad and second by showcasing the supremacy of German athletes.

Total

Rank

Nation

Gold

Silver

Bronze

1 Germany

33

26

30

89

2 USA

24

20

12

56

3 Hungary

10

1

5

16

4 Italy

8

9

5

22

Finland

7

6

6

19

5

France

7

6

6

19

7 Sweden

6

5

9

20

8 Japan

6

4

8

18

9 Nederland

6

4

7

17

nazi germany 10 Great Britain

4

7

3

14

As a small point of correcting history, Jesse Owens was apparently never snubbed by Hitler either for being American or for being black. While it is entirely possible that Hitler hated having a non-Aryan declared the fastest human alive, he did not show it. Jesse Owens stated that while it was true that Hitler left the stadium before the award ceremony, it was not before Hitler met him behind the stand and shook his hand. That moment was either not caught by the press, or if it was, it was never published. Owens was also quoted as saying that he was treated better in Germany than he was in America.

Five Brothers and a War

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