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The Soviet boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games is explained as the result of a complex series of events and policies that culminated in a strategic decision to not participate in Los Angeles. Using IR framework, D´Agati developes and argues for the concept of surrogate wars as an alternative means for conflict between states.

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1. The Surrogate War, the Boycott, and the Search for a Hidden Story 2. A Primer on Politics in the Olympics 3. Soviet Sports History and the Olympic Movement 4. Montreal, Moscow, and Los Angeles: Bidding for the Games 5. 1980: An American Winter and a Soviet Summer 6. The LAOOC and Soviet Reasons for Not Attending 7. Socialist Inconsistencies and the Security Issue 8. Conclusions on Surrogate Wars, Nested Games, and Soviet Sports Policy

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Philip A. D´Agati is an Assistant Academic Specialist in Political Science and International Relations at Northeastern University, USA. He received an MA in Comparative Politics, an MA in World History, and a PhD in Political Science from Northeastern University. He is a researcher of nationalism, international organizations, and the role of sport in international politics. He is the author of Nationalism on the World Stage: Cultural Performance at the Olympic Games.

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