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MichałMarcinKobierecki
sportasatoolofconflict(forexampletoexpressdissatisfactionwithanother
player’spolicy),andtoshapeastate’sinternationalimage.Inregardto
this,authorssometimesdistinguishpositiveandnegativesportsdiplomacy,
focusedeitheroninternationalcooperationorconflict.Thisresearchrefersto
positivesportsdiplomacyaimedatevokingfriendshipbetweenthesocieties
ofapoliticalalliance,thusstrengtheningit.
SportsrelationsbetweenEasternBloccountriesduringtheColdWarcan
beregardedasaparadigmofsportbeingusedtodeepenfriendshipbetween
states.Althoughtheactivitiesthatwereundertakenatthetimewerevery
oftenpropagandaratherthanpublicdiplomacy,theboundarybetweenthe
twotermsremainsblurred.Infact,theaimofthesportsexchangesthatwere
undertakenwithinthegroupofEuropeancommuniststateswastoevoke
mutualfriendship,particularlybetweenthesocietiesoftheSovietsatellite
statesandthepeopleoftheSovietUnion.AsEasternBlocmembershipwas
enforced,artificialandintentionalmeansofstrengtheningsuchanalliance
shouldbeseenasnecessary.
Thisresearchattemptstoverifythehypothesisthatstrengtheningthe
EasternBlocviasportsexchangesshouldnotbeassociatedexclusivelywith
theinterestsoftheSovietUnion,butwiththoseofthecommunistgovernments
ofEasternBloccountriesingeneral.Membershipofthecoalitionofstates
wasnotvoluntary,butwasenforcedwithcoercion,asaresultofsettlements
aftertheSecondWorldWar.Thisledtoaneedtousemethodstypicalfor
eitherpropagandaorpublicdiplomacytolegitimisethepoliticalreality
amongthesocietiesofthosecountries.Asaresult,boththeSovietUnion
andthecommunistleadersofitssatellitestateswantedthesocietiesto“like”
thefactofbeinginthecommunistalliance.
PositivesportsdiplomacywithintheEasternBlocfailedinfulfillingits
goals.ThepeopleoftheEuropeancommuniststates,theathletesparticipating
insportsexchanges,andsometimeseventheorganisersoftheevents,
showednegativeattitudestowardsothernationsofthealliance.Therefore,
anotheraimofthisresearchistodeterminewhythelong-runningactivities
ofpositivesportsdiplomacywithinthecommunistalliancefailedtocreate
friendshipbetweensocieties.
Theresearchisbasicallyempirical,basedontwomethods:decision-
makingandhermeneutics.Itencompassestheneedtodeterminethe
motivationsofestablishingsportsexchanges,andinterpretationof
selectedsportseventsfromtheperspectiveoftheirpoliticalanddiplomatic
8
ThePolishQuarterlyofInternationalAffairs,2016,no.2
