Background on the Munich Massacre

Munich Massacre Report A P R I L 2 0 1 0 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

INSIDE

THIS

ISSUE:

Causes of

the

Massacre!

How

things

started!

About

Munich

Germany!

The Munich Massacre was a scene that no one wanted to sit in their mind. The Massacre was

something utterly speechless. This started with an Arab group from the Palestine Black September

Organization (PSB) who command that 200 Arab prisoners be freed from an Israeli prison. The conflict

was that these Arabs were terrorists who caused a more problem by taking 9 hostages with them. It all

started at the 1972 Munich Olympics. A few days into the games, The Arab terrorists dressed as ath-

letes and in the night jumped the fence into the Olympic Athletes Apartments. This was not found suspi-

cious because many athletes and their friends jumped over the fence if it was after hours and they

were coming back from a party or going out. After the Arabs gained an entrance into the quarters, they

sneaked into the first apartment where Israeli athletes were getting a good night’s rest for the long

day tomorrow, but they were not expecting midnight visitors who were uninvited. The Arabs charged

into a couple of bedrooms and shots rang out. Many were killed; many were taken as hostages. Their

last target was apartment 13. Inside the room, Yossef Gutfreund, a professional wrestler heard them

before they could intrude. He used quick reflexes and blocked the doorway, then yelled for the ones

who were sleeping to get up and run. He told them to run and they just had to get out. Unfortunately,

the wrestler was killed after he wounded a terrorist in defense. The mysterious Arabs ran to the air-

port and called the German Authorities and demanded for three helicopters to transport the 5 terror-

ists over to the prisoners. The Germans agreed and made a group of sharpshooters and police officers

who surrounded the airport. They were ready for 5 terrorists, not 8. Eight is what showed up to the

three helicopters. The Massacre began with shots and ended with deaths. The Olympics were held off

for one day and not many news reports were given out to the people. After this tragedy, West Germans

quickly established anti-terrorism borders. Why couldn’t these borders have prevented the Massacre

and deaths of many loved ones? Better safe than sorry.

By: Christina Polyanko April 12, 2010

P A G E 2

He shouted "Hava

Tistalku!"

[Take cover, boys!]

and tried to hold the

door closed against the

weight of the

Palestinians who were

forcing their way in.

Causes of the Munich Massacre

M U N I C H M A S S A C R E R E P O R T

Government & Politics One cause of The Munich Massacre is because of Government and Politics. The Munich Massacre

involved the government because the Arab terrorists wanted 200 prisoners freed from the Israeli Prisons. This

included Ulrike Meinhof and Andreas Baader, the founders and leaders of the German based Baader-Meinhof

Gang. The Arabs were getting mixed in with the government. As stated in Counter terrorism Responses and

Failures at 1972 at Munich Olympics Massacre, “ The German police had arrested both individuals earlier in

June 1972. The BSO also demanded that the police provide three planes for an escape. Upon receiving confir-

mation on the release of the prisoners, the BSO would select a plane to transport them to a safe destination.

West German police negotiators suc-

cessfully extended three deadlines set

by the BSO. The BSO then demanded

a jet to transport them to Cairo where

the prisoners they had demanded for

release would meet them. However the

government of Egypt refused to provide

assistance in support of any West Ger-

man police action during the crisis. ”

The Arabs wanted to communicate with

the government. They were not afraid

to show that they could be powerful and

not defeated. In the same quote there is

supportive evidence that chains the

reason together with the conflict. The

BSO wanted three helicopters to trans-

fer their hostages and themselves to

the jails, and then move the prisoners with them after them arrive. The Arabs were talking and communicating

with the German Government. Government and Politics plays a big part in what happened at the 1972 Summer

Olympics.

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Religion One cause of The Munich Massacre is because of Religion. The Arabs were tangling their plot with religion.

This cause started when Jason D. Söderblom stated in his article, Counter Terrorism Responses and Failures at the

1972 Munich Olympic Massacre, that, “Within the next hour the BSO terrorists had issued a set of demands, written in

English, and had thrown Moshe Weinberger's body into the street.” They showed that they were not playing around by

throwing Moshe Weinberger’s body into the street. Weinberger was a Rabbi, a Jewish leader. The terrorists hated the

Jews. Also, another article quotes that,” …as the athletes slept, eight members of the Palestinian group Black Sep-

tember, clad in tracksuits and carrying guns and grenades in duffel bags, scaled a two-meter chain-link fence sur-

rounding the compound to enter two apartments being used by the Israeli team at 31 Connollystrasse.” The Arabs

snuck into the Israeli Apartments and barged into the rooms, taking Israeli Jews with them as hostages. They chose

Israeli athletes as hostages because they wanted prisoners freed from jails in Israel. The Arabs terrorist attack

played a big part in religion. They wanted to warn the Israelis that they were threatening them and forcing them to

give up to them.

P A G E 3

M U N I C H M A S S A C R E R E P O R T

One cause of The Munich Massacre is because of Religion. The Arabs were tangling their

plot with religion. This cause started when Jason D. Söderblom stated in his article,

Counter Terrorism Responses and Failures at the 1972 Munich Olympic Massacre, that,

“ W ithin the next hour the BSO terrorists had issued a set of demands, written in English,

and had thrown Moshe Weinberger's body into the street. ” They showed that they were

not playing around by throwing Moshe Weinberger ’ s body into the street. Weinberger

was a Rabbi, a Jewish leader. The terrorists hated the Jews. Also, another article quotes

that, ” …as the athletes slept, eight members of the Palestinian group Black September,

clad in tracksuits and carrying guns and grenades in duffel bags, scaled a two-meter chain

-link fence surrounding the compound to enter two apartments being used by the Israeli

team at 31 Connollystrasse. ” The Arabs snuck into the Israeli Apartments and barged

into the rooms, taking Israeli Jews with them as hostages. They chose Israeli athletes as

hostages because they wanted prisoners freed from jails in Israel. The Arabs terrorist at-

tack played a big part in religion. They wanted to warn the Israelis that they were threaten-

ing them and forcing them to give up to them.

Religion

For Show One cause of The Munich Massacre is because they wanted the whole world to see

what they were made of. That is why the Arabs chose to kidnap the Israelis during the

games. They knew that the whole entire world was watching the Olympic Games, so

they thought what better time would there be to let everybody see what we are doing,

then to do it at the 1972 Summer Olympics games? Well they had an easy entrance into

the camps were all the athletes slept, because it wasn’ t suspicious to jump over the

fences in those times. In one article it says that, “…five Arab terrorists wearing track

sweat suits climbed the six-foot six-inch fence surrounding the Olympic Village. Al-

though they were seen by several people, no one thought anything was unusual since

athletes routinely hopped the fence; moreover, the terrorists' weapons were hidden in

athletic bags. ” In some ways, they wanted people to see and in some ways not. They

didn ’ t want the people to see the bad side in them or the angry plot they were schem-

ing against the Jews, they wanted the world to see them as heroes trying to rescue200

prisoners from the Israeli Jails. They also wanted to be remembered in history, for being

bad or for being good, it didn ’ t matter to them. In all of the articles that I have read, it

always talks about the Olympics going on during the time of the massacre. “ It was 4:30

in the morning on Sept. 5, 1972, ” “ The tragic deaths of 11 Israeli athletes clouded the

1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, ” and “ This case study is a commentary

on the terrorism and counter terrorism successes and failures at the 1972 Munich Olym-

pic kidnapping. ” I would say that they were making a big deal about the one thing that

they wanted. They were only thinking of their people. They had no thoughts toward oth-

ers, except to be sure they were watching. Watching, looking and waiting.

A hero is one who

knows how to hang

on one minute

longer.

- Novalis

Quote

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MunichMassacrePlaque.jpg

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images/municholympic.jpg

About Munich, Germany Do you like Bavarian Villages and Festivals? Or Bratwurst sausages? Then Munich, Germany is for

you! This town is full of festivals. There is many every month. The most famous ones are the Octoberfest and

the Art walks. At the Octoberfest, there is much to do and see. This festivals are made out of traditions that have

been cherished for over 100 years. There is beer tasting and seeing. Through-out the month of October, there is

roller coasters and Ferris wheels to enjoy for the light-hearted. In the beginning, a parade comes through town

and music follows. Starting February, there will be a display of Ed Ruscha’s Paintings (1958 – 2007).

Festivals and Beer is not the only thing that draws the people into Germany, it is the treatment of being

a King! What’s a little history to you? “In 1806 Bavaria became a kingdom. Under King Max I Joseph and his

minister Maximilian Joseph von Montgelas the foundations of the Bavarian state were laid by far-reaching inno-

vations and reforms.” This quote comes from the Central website of Munich, Germany. Because of this kingdom

that was established, there is a crown that stands in the Nymphenburg Castle that everyone loves to come and

see. This tour also comes with a Carriage ride

Bibliography:

Quote:

“ Hero Quotes ” 2010 http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/

hero.html. April 11, 2010

Information on Background and Causes:

“ M unich Massacre: Politics of Sport ” 2002. Wikipedia: Pages 1-3

“ 9 Olympic Hostages die in Shoot-out ” 1972. Encarta: Page 1-2

Pictures:

“ M uenchen ” 2010. April 10, 2010. http://www.muenchen.de