The political dimension of the Olympics is generally well researched and published - there is a fair bit of material on the various boycotts and the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
The issue of what constitutes a country has become a 'hot topic' again with talk of a UK football team for 2012, with Sepp Blatter suggesting that a team of just English players would avoid all the issues (a suggestion which, staggeringly, he made at a meeting held in Gleneagles!!)
Recently I came across an interesting precedent. In 1912, Austria-Hungary had not only two teams from each half of the Dual Monarchy, i.e. Austria and Hungary, but there was also a team from Bohemia, then an integral part of Austria. Not surprisingly this was against the wishes of the Austrians, and I can only guess that it was part of the campaign of Czech nationalists which resulted in the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918.
I've tried without success to find any material on how Bohemia came to be in Stockholm, and what actions Austria took to try and stop this. It must have caused a considerable stir at the time - it's the equivalent of there having been both a UK team and a Scotland team at Athens 2004.
Can anyone give me a steer on sources for this? This seems a worthwhile area for research as it has the IOC apparently ignoring the clear political status quo in a member country. It would seem to be a precedent for allowing a team from Tibet for example!
Best regards
John
