World Cup 1938: When Nazi Germany Forced Austrians to Play For Them—And Lost–world history and facts
World Cup 1938: When Nazi Germany Forced Austrians to Play For Them—And Lost Austria’s national squad had been known as the 'Wunderteam,' but when conscripted to play for Germany, they were less impressive. Global tournaments like the World Cup are never free of politics and that was especially true in 1938 during the run-up to World War II when the fascist leaders of Germany and Italy were eager to put their stamp on the final outcome. But the Germans may have made a miscalculation in forcing five Austrian starters to play for their team after Germany had invaded and annexed Austria three months before the start of the games. Adolf Hitler was hoping for a bit of revenge after losing the propaganda battle at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Those games were supposed to be a showcase for the Nazi regime and the athletic superiority of the Aryan race. American Jesse Owens, a black sprinter, stole the show with four gold medals, and Germany’s Olympic soccer team was upset by Norwa