d not happen. Many people throughout the world did not feel comfortable attending the Berlin Games. An alternate event, dubbed the Peoples' Olympics, was scheduled for Barcelona, Spain. The plan, however, was dismissed due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July of 1936. When it became known that Jews were banned from any German National team, a violation of the Olympic charter, many Americans in the United States demanded a boycott of the games. The Committee on Fair Play in Sports seemed to sum up the general attitude of the nation:
             "...sport is prostituted when sport loses its independent and democratic character and becomes a political institution...Nazi Germany is endeavoring to use the Eleventh Olympiad to serve the necessities and interests of the Nazi Regime rather than the Olympic ideals."
             Avery Brundage, head of the United States Olympic Committee, made a personal visit to see the situation for himself. As I stated earlier, though, Hitler had everything removed that showed any hint that anti-Semitism existed in Germany. Brundage was convinced by German officials that Jews could try out for the German team just like anybody else. Short-lived boycott efforts formed in other countries as well. Great Britain, France, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands were other countries voicing strong objections to the games. Once the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States voted for participation in December of 1935 (by a margin of 2.5 votes), the other countries, however, fell in line. Although no countries boycotted, several Jewish athletes on various national teams from Europe boycotted. Despite the preliminary doubts and the growing tensions that were to culminate in World War II, the Berlin Games attracted 49 countries and 4,066 athletes, more than any other previous Olympics.
             On the positive side, there were many great technological achievements that happened during the Berlin Games. Events ...