History Main / MusicToInvadePolandTo

* Most Islamist extremist groups reject ''all'' instrumental music as un-Islamic (the Taliban has even killed people simply for listening to music), and instead use a cappella religious chants known as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasheed nasheeds.]] During its campaigns in the mid-2010s, the Islamic State recorded several nasheeds extolling their war, the most famous being [[https://www.jihadica.com/is-this-the-most-successful-release-of-a-jihadist-video-ever/ "Salil al-Sawarim"]] ("Clashing of Swords" or "Clanging of Swords"), which has been largely purged from most websites outside of [[https://archive.org/details/saleel_al-sawarim the Internet Archive]] due to its subject matter and who it's celebrating. The associations caused even many non-jihadi nasheeds to take on similar connotations in non-Muslim communities; a Website/YouTube search for "ISIS music" will bring up playlists filled with nasheeds, the comments for which are often filled with jokes about both terrorism and [[BigBrotherIsWatching the FBI and NSA surveilling everybody who listens to them]]. There have also been examples of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihadism_and_hip_hop jihadi hip-hop songs,]] although hip-hop music is still very far removed from what typically constitutes this trope.

Incidentally, German music earlier came under attack during the anti-German hysteria of UsefulNotes/WorldWarI. A generation before it became "Music to Invade Poland To", German music was denounced as "Music to Invade Belgium To". The hymn tune ''Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken'' very suddenly needed to be set to a new tune, as it used ''Deutschland Über Alles'' - a stirring theme, but not one held appropriate for British churches after August 1914.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

** In the series, the Kuromorimine team, being based off [[GermanicEfficiency German tanks and tactics]], uses instumental versions of both ''Erika'' and ''Panzerlied'' as their {{Leitmotif}}. Bonus points goes to ''Panzerlied'' for playing when they reveal the [[spoiler: [[TankGoodness PzKw VII Maus.]]]]
** In ''Der Film'', an instrumental version of ''When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' is played in a minor [[{{Scales}} key]] to invoke this effect when [[spoiler: [[MightyGlacier The T28 Superheavy]]]] is revealed.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

** Inverted in "The God Complex". One of the alien characters mentions that their planetary anthem is entitled "Glory to (Insert Name Here)" - Music to ''be'' invaded to. It's their [[PlanetOfHats hat]] - surrender immediately in the face of military oppressors, because then the oppression won't be too bad, and they can slyly end up running things their way in the aftermath, thus surviving to be conquered by somebody else.

Thus he and the Nazis appropriated his music and theatrics fifty years after his death. Hitler deliberately patterened his theatrics after Wagner (e.g. in scenes of ''Film/TriumphOfTheWill'' where he would be depicted as a larger-than-life Germanic hero). In his private talks, he constantly shilled Wagner to his inner circle of friends, like an Otaku does about Anime, much to their annoyance that they of course could not express lest they offend their Führer. Wagnerian music would be played whenever the Nazi tanks charged in their Blitzkrieg, and Romantic classical music and opera (including, you know, Wagner) would be constantly played on the Reich's radio if it weren't about propaganda. Even in his Downfall and eventual [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled suicide]] Hitler envisioned himself as a [[{{Tragedy}} Tragic Hero]] ala ''Götterdämmerung'' come to life, but instead of allowing his enemies to relish the victory of ruling over Germany, [[TakingYouWithMe he intended on bringing all of Germany down with him in dramatic flames]].\\

This permanently smeared his character for people unfamiliar with his actual music. Thus, today any of his music or other dramatic sounding music will be unfairly associated with fascistic political views that Wagner never held. However, people who have actually understood his music dramas realize, in the sprit of what Romanticism actually stood for, [[MisaimedFandom they advocate something close to liberalism: power and authority corrupts, but love is good.]]

*** For extra super-duper special bonus points, Ode to Joy is the anthem of the European Union, which - whatever you think of it as it is ''now'' - grew out of a desire to get everyone to stop invading things, please, can't we all just get along? The anthem doesn't include Schiller's words - not because the sentiment was disapproved of, but because it would be a bit weird having an anthem for all of Europe that had lyrics in German, or indeed any other language.

* ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcWKDTiJN_8 Das Deutschlandlied,]]'' better known as ''Deutschland Über Alles'', whose first line translates "Germany over all", is assumed to refer to the goal of Germany to TakeOverTheWorld. In truth, the song was written by a nineteenth-century ''liberal'', who wanted Germans to put aside petty provincial distinctions (such as being Prussian, Bavarian, or Austrian), eschew the [[UsefulNotes/AllTheLittleGermanies divisive and reactionary petty states]], and think of themselves as united Germans above all else. He was, in fact, expressing a desire for German unity, not domination. The third stanza is today's national anthem of Germany (its first line is "Unity and Justice and Freedom", which sounds way more peaceful).

* Music/JoyDivision's first EP had a black-and-white picture of a blonde Hitler Youth member beating a drum on its cover. Then they were surprised that people thought they were Nazis - their name was a reference to the Nazi regime's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_military_brothels_in_World_War_II kidnapping of women to serve as sex slaves in Army Brothels]], via the 1955 novel House Of Dolls. When the band reformed, they kept the joke by renaming the themselves New Order.

-->'''Max''': I--I was just listening to the music--\\
'''Consul''': Yes, very soothing. Hitler and I also have Wagner in common.\\
'''Max''': That's not Wagner. That's Mendelssohn. Played by Heifetz.

* Invoked in ''[[VideoGame/{{Mother3}} Mother 3]]'', wherein the [[ThoseWackyNazis Pigmask Army]] uses themes that are half colonial American, half Wagnerian. This is best heard in the [[https://youtu.be/4AVy-IPPar4 orchestrated soundtrack]].

-->'''The Major''': ...ze accompaniment tonight has been selected by popular survey... ''and I hope you're as excited as I am!'' Ze song tonight is ze most appropriate for... ironic reasons. ''Ze best reasons!'' But first, a toast... to ze answer of an age-old question.\\

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' Mr. Burns has a taped version of 'Ride of the Valkyries' ready for when he was going to get Homer's mother arrested for [[spoiler: being among the protesters who destroyed his biological weapon lab]]. Unfortunately, [[SoundtrackDissonance the music immediately switched]] to 'Waterloo' by Music/{{ABBA}}.

* Alluded to in the [[Anime/{{Patlabor}} Patlabor: The New Files]] OVA. After having his cover blown by the [[SuperPrototype Griffon]]'s pilot revealing his voice, [[TheChessmaster Utsumi]] states that it was stupid to even install external speakers on the thing, [[TheDragon Kurosaki]] is quick to reply that it was his own idea, so he could play Wagner as it moved. Utsumi then complains that they haven't got to do that yet.

** The [[https://tonedeaf.thebrag.com/controversial-album-covers-2/list/rammstein-herzeleid-1995/ cover of the band's debut album]] ''Herzeleid'' featured a shirtless photo of the members; leading to some critics and audiences accusing them of depicting themselves as 'Herrenmenschen' (the master race), and in turn, promoting racist/Nazi/Aryan values.

Art produced in Germany has had a startling tendency to be viewed by non-Germans through the prism of ''is this Nazism or not?'' This especially applies to German music. And, indeed, to any music that "sounds German" regardless of whether or not it was made in Germany.

** In ''Der Film'', an instrumental version of ''When Johnny Comes Marching Home'' is played in a minor key to invoke this effect when [[spoiler: [[MightyGlacier The T28 Superheavy]]]] is revealed.