Sport, International Politics and the Nordic States in the Cold War

This is the first book to examine the nexus of sport and international politics in the Nordic countries during the Cold War period. It fills a significant gap in the literature on the history of the Cold War and on the history of international sport, and it opens up a previously missing small-state perspective on these topics.

Featuring the work of leading sport scholars and historians from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland, the book the book investigates the role of sport in international diplomacy in the Nordic countries. It sheds light on the debates surrounding boycotts of undemocratic or racist regimes and examines how the Nordic countries dealt with international political challenges in sport during the Cold War. With case studies including Soviet-Icelandic sport relations, the sport movement for peace in Denmark, and the history of Nordic influence in the IOC, the book also discusses how the relationship between sport and international politics has been confronted by sport officials, athletes, politicians and the mass media across the region.

This is fascinating reading for anybody with an interest in sport history, international history, diplomatic history, the Cold War or international politics.