The Nuclear Winter Olympics

Abstract

The 1980 Winter Olympics set forth a change in the American spirit—especially considering the historical events that shaped the time frame. The Cold War was underfoot which meant a lot of tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. This was led to the importance of the game-changing "Miracle on Ice", where the Americans took the lead against their Soviet counterparts in an astonishing upset. A simple hockey game led to a boost in American Morale that was desperately needed, the effects of which are explored in this thesis.