interwarEurope.¹⁸⁴Theunderlyingbasicthoughtwasabetterpreparationofthe
youthfortherequirementsoftheageoftotalwaranditsunificationbysportex-
perienceinordertobecomeinsurmountable.¹⁸⁵Thisideahadwonmanysup-
portersalsooutsidethenationalistcirclesoftheWeimarRepublic.
Diem’smostsustainablecontributionafterthewarwastheImperialyouth
competitions(Reichsjugendwettkämpfe),anannualcompulsoryathleticcompeti-
tioninallprimary,secondaryandhigherschools.Mostoftheexerciseswerein-
spiredbyOlympicdisciplines,butseveral,includingthethrowingofsmallballs
hadclearlymilitaryroots.Theaimofthesegameswastofacilitateanapproach
ofGermanchildrenandyoungpeopletosportsinaplayful,lessperformance-
orientedway.¹⁸⁶CarlDiemalsoproposedclosercooperationofarmyandsport
clubsinGermanyin1 92 6.HebelievedthatGermany,a‘nationinarms’,should
alsobecomea“nationinphysicalexercise”.¹⁸⁷Gymnasticsandfootballshould
becomepartofeverydaylife,anideaalsoproposedbySelimSırrıfortheTurkish
armedforces.¹⁸⁸Consequently,CarlDiemalsosubmittedaproposaltotheGer-
manparliamentregardingDiem’sceterocenseo,thedailyphysicalexercises
classinschool.¹⁸⁹Eventhoughhearguedthathispleawasessential“fortheex-
istenceandthepowerofthenation”¹⁹⁰budgetaryrestrictionsafterthehyperin-
flationin 1923 madehisprojectillusionary.
Intheearly1 92 0s,CarlDiembegantoadvocatefortheintroductionofsports
asanacademicfieldofstudy,alsoinordertotrainsportteachersforschools.
DiembecameoneofthefoundingmembersoftheGermanacademyforPhysical
Exercises(DeutscheHochschulefürLeibesübungen)in 1921 .ForDiem,thedevel-
Forjustificationpurposes,Germanmilitaryperiodicalsoftenpointedtotheinjusticethatin
Germanysuchprogrammescouldnotbesupportedbythestate.Cf.Anonymous,“Militärische
JugendausbildunginAmerikaundEngland,”Kriegskunst 1 – 2( 19 24),9 0 – 94 ;Anonymous,“Mil-
itärischeJugenderziehunginFrankreich,PolenundderTschecho-Slowakei,”Kriegskunst 1 – 2
(1924), 570 – 57 5.
RalfSchäfer,Militarismus,Nationalismus,Antisemitismus:CarlDiemunddiePolitisierung
desbürgerlichenSportsimKaiserreich(Berlin:Metropol, 20 11), 42 1.
Thecompulsorycharacterofthegamesisstillvisibleinthesuccessoreventintoday’sGer-
many; “DurchführungderBundesjugendspiele.” https://www.bundesjugendspiele.de/down
loads/KMK/KMK_Beschluss_Fassung_v_12_09_2013.pdf{LastAcessedon24November 2017 }
Tauber,“JehärterSportundSpiel,” 87 – 88.
SelimSırrı,OrduʼdaveMekteplerʼdeFutbolFootballintheArmyandinSchools.
CarlDiemandEugenMatthias,DietäglicheTurnstunde:Bedeutung,VermehrungundEr-
neuerungderLeibesübungenimDienstederGesamterziehung(Berlin:WeidmannscheBuchhand-
lung,1 92 3).
CarlDiemʼsmemorandumfortheparliamentarycommissionfortheadvancementofphys-
icalexercises(19 26 ),reprintedinOlympischeFlammevol3,1 136.
CarlDiemintheWeimarRepublic,1 918 – 1933 141