L’autre boycott des Jeux olympiques de Moscou 1980 : quand l’événement sportif nourrit le combat anticommuniste de l’extrême-droite française.

Abstract

This article focuses on the forgotten mobilization of a section of the French anti-communist far right movements during the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games. While the movements initiated internationally by the american government, or in France, by the intellectual networks of the far left have been widely documented, the analysis of the collective action led by Bernard Antony, an anti-communist cause-builder, has been overshadowed. By revealing various phenomena inherent to the political mobilization of anti-communist activists, and the weight of tacit norms of sporting apolitism, our work sheds light on both the driving forces behind the actions of the French far right to fuel its fight against the Soviet regime, and the intertwined links between the sporting and political orders. It also examines the gradual evolution of Jean-Marie Le Pen’s position, from defender of the Olympic cause to fervent supporter of the "boycott" movement backed by a large proportion of Front National activists.

Keywords

• France
• mobilization
• Olympic Games
• URSS
• Moscow 1980
• National Front