events leading upAt the 1972 Munich OIympics, tensions were high. It was the first major event in Germany since WWII. Terrorists were at an all time high. The Israeli athletes were especially nervous because many of their family members were killed during the Holocaust. This would be one of the first major terrorist attacks of our modern world.
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What actually happenedEight members of the Palenstinian terrorist group, Black September jumped the fence to the Olympic village. That night, they murdered 2 members of the Israeli team. They also took nine of the teams other members hostage. This attack eventually led to gunfire leaving five of the eight terrorists and all nine of the hostages dead.
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Why is this Important?
This set the stage for many other terrorists of the era. These people now knew that it was possible to get away with these actions. This also showed that terrorism was a thing that actually happened, not this high and mighty idea. This event showed us that terrorism was very real and that it was happening in our society.