1952 Inter-Camp P.O.W. Olympics
The 1952 Inter-Camp P.O.W. Olympics was a mock Olympic games held during the Korean War in 1952 in which United Nations prisoners of war held in North Korea competed. It was staged as propaganda to encourage more UN soldiers to surrender.
The Games
The POW Olympics were held between 15-27 November 1952 at Pyoktong, North Korea. The Chinese hoped to gain worldwide publicity and, whilst some prisoners refused to participate, some 500 prisoners of 11 nationalities took part.[1] They were representative of all the prison camps in North Korea [citation needed] and competed in American football, baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, track and field, soccer, gymnastics, and boxing.[1] For the prisoners, this was an opportunity to meet with friends from other camps. They also acted as photographers, announcers and even reporters, who after each day's competition published a newsletter, the Olympic Roundup.[1]
| Overall Result | Team (Teams were arranged by Camp)[2] |
|---|---|
| 1st | Camp 5 (Pyoktong, North Korea) |
| 2nd | Camp 1 (Changsong, North Korea) |
| 3rd | Camp 4 (Pyoktong, North Korea) |
Use in Propaganda
The Olympics feature frequently in North Korean psychological warfare (PSYWAR) pamphlets and leaflets distributed to UN soldiers.[3][4] The 1952 Olympics allowed Communist forces to point to the good conditions available to those who surrendered.[2][5]
See also
- 1944 Summer Olympics during the Second World War at which prisoners of war from Oflag II-C staged a comparable unofficial Olympic games.
References
- ^ a b c Adams, (2007), p. 62.
- ^ a b "POW Olympics Intro RedirectPage".
- ^ Peace "magazine" (n.2), October 1952
- ^ Propaganda leaflet, 1952
- ^ http://library.ndsu.edu/digital/files/2010/04/Themes-in-Korean-War.pdf
Bibliography
- Young, Charles S. (2014). Name, Rank, and Serial Number: Exploiting Korean War POWs at home and Abroad. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-518348-1.
- Adams, Clarence (2007). An American Dream: The Life of an African American soldier and POW who spent twelve years in communist China. Amherst, Mass: Amherst Univ. of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-1-5584-9595-1.