The Boys In The Boat: A Journey Through The 1930S

The Boys in the Boat is set in the 1930s, specifically in the year 1936. The story revolves around the University of Washington's rowing team and their journey to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, providing a glimpse into the lives of the rowers during the Great Depression.

The 1936 Olympics

The 1936 Games were the first to be televised, with black-and-white coverage broadcast to special viewing rooms in Berlin and Potsdam, as well as a few private TV sets. The Olympics were also the first to introduce the torch relay – the torch was carried from Olympia to the site of the Games through seven countries, covering a distance of over 3,000 km.

The Berlin Olympics are best remembered for Hitler's attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. The most successful athlete of the Games was African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. Owens's success made him the most popular hero of the Games, despite Hitler's ideals of racial supremacy and antisemitism.

The Great Depression

Various factors contributed to the Great Depression, including slowing consumer demand, mounting consumer debt, decreased industrial production, and reckless expansion of the US stock market. The period preceding the Great Depression, known as the "Roaring Twenties," was marked by industrial growth and social development. Much of the profit generated during this time was invested in speculation, such as the stock market, resulting in growing wealth inequality. Banks engaged in loose lending practices, and by 1929, declining spending had led to reductions in manufacturing output and rising unemployment.

The University of Washington rowing team

The 1936 University of Washington rowing team has since become the subject of a book and a film, both titled "The Boys in the Boat". The book, written by Daniel James Brown, was published in 2013 and became a New York Times bestseller. The film adaptation was released in 2023 and was directed by George Clooney. Both the book and the film tell the inspirational story of how a group of underdogs came together to take on elite rivals from around the world.

The gold medal win

The Boys in the Boat is a film adaptation of Daniel James Brown's non-fiction novel of the same name. It is directed by George Clooney and was released in 2023. The film is based on the true story of the University of Washington rowing team, which competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, and won a gold medal.

The story follows the team's quest to compete in the Olympics, set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. The rowers, including main character Joe Rantz, came from lower-middle-class families and struggled to earn their way through school. Rantz, in particular, had a tough upbringing, as he was abandoned by his family at a young age.

The team faced financial challenges, as the US Olympic Committee was short on funds, and they had to raise money for their travel to Berlin. Despite the odds, the team made it to the Olympics and competed against elite rivals from around the world.

In the final race, the University of Washington rowing team narrowly beat Italy and Germany to win the gold medal. The victory was especially significant as it occurred in Nazi Germany, where Hitler was in attendance, expecting a German gold-medal sweep of the rowing events. The US team's win served as a powerful moment in the face of the cruelty and inhumane treatment of Jews and minorities by the Nazi regime.

The gold medal-winning crew of the University of Washington rowing team became national heroes. Their victory inspired a 2016 PBS American Experience documentary titled "The Boys of '36". The story of their triumph against all odds continues to capture the imagination of audiences and inspire adaptations in different mediums.

Hitler and Nazi Germany

The Boys in the Boat is set in the 1930s, with the story centred around the University of Washington rowing team and their journey to compete in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Nazi Germany.

Hitler's rise to power in Germany occurred during a time of economic crisis and political instability. In 1930, the global economic crisis hit Germany hard, leaving millions unemployed and the country in political turmoil. This was the backdrop to the rise of the German National Socialist Workers' Party (NSDAP). Hitler, with his talent for oratory, attracted more and more members to the party, which was characterised by extreme nationalism and antisemitism.

On January 30, 1933, Hitler was appointed as German chancellor. This marked the beginning of the transformation of Germany from a multi-party republic into a one-party dictatorship. The Nazis implemented radical racial, political, and social policies that targeted Jews and other alleged "enemies of the state." During the first six years of Hitler's rule, German Jews were subjected to legislation that stripped them of their rights and transformed them from citizens to outcasts.

The Nazis also put into practice racial policies that aimed to "purify" and strengthen the Germanic "Aryan" population. This included the Law for the "Prevention of Offspring with Hereditary Diseases," which mandated the forced sterilisation of certain individuals with physical and mental disabilities. They also introduced laws to limit the number of Jewish students in public schools and exclude Jews from government employment, including teaching jobs.

The Nazis' campaign of exclusion and persecution extended beyond the Jewish community. They also targeted homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Roma and Sinti, and political opponents. The first concentration camps, such as Dachau, were established to detain political prisoners, and freedom of speech, assembly, and press were suspended.

By 1936, the year in which The Boys in the Boat is set, Nazi Germany was camouflaging its racist and militaristic character while hosting the Summer Olympics. Hitler attended the finals of the rowing events, expecting a German gold-medal sweep.

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