Large-scale sport events in Fascist Italy and Nazi-Germany

International sports since the 1930s have emerged as a significant cross-cultural phenomenon, serving as symbols of national identity and attracting mass engagement. Unlike economic or diplomatic interactions, sports evade direct government control, yet this unique aspect has made them appealing for political manipulation. Regimes like those of Mussolini and Hitler utilized major sporting events for propaganda, with Nazi Germany's 1936 Olympics exemplifying how sports can further domestic and international agendas, a strategy that began with Italy's Football World Cup in 1934.