The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were unlike any other. It marked the first Olympic Games during which the Nazi Party was in control over Germany and also saw the largest worldwide promotion of political and ideological propaganda, led by Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler.

After initial viewing the Olympics with skepticism, the leader of the Nazi Party embraced the attention on his country and sought to use the games to his advantage, leading the unofficial moniker “Hitler’s Games” to be used in historical references. It was not sole the driving force behind his reign of global terror that would continue for another decade but yet another stepping stone toward his push for racial, ideological and political supremacy.

As we approach the 80th Anniversary of the 1936 Olympics this year, here’s a brief photographical look one of the most unbelievable sporting events in world history: