History TruthInTelevision / AToC

* BadassArmy: Specific examples would be too risk, but almost everyone has at least ''one'' army in all of human history they can cheer on, and even any who don't have at least they one they can, even if begrudgingly, admit were badass in an EvilIsCool way.

* BankRobbery: Happens, though the incidence of them has been greatly reduced by surveillance cameras, greater penalties, tracking of cash, and similar moves to reduce their popularity as a crime. After TheNineties, generally only committed by StupidCrooks who are caught very fast. Post TheNoughties and in TheNewTens, the trope became inverted in a few instances, with major banks robbing society at large.

* BoardingSchoolOfHorrors: Ever since, what we today would refer to as underage, students were first sent to live in these institutions of learning, cases have been reported of educators physically abusing those that they are tasked with caring. Bullying by other students has also been reported. In The U.S., Canada, and Australia the government set up boarding schools whose goal was to provide Indigenous peoples' children, which they were forced to turn over as wards of the state, a western style education, by psychologically conditioning them to accept that [[TheSavageIndian their traditional cultural beliefs were primitive and evil.]]

* ArtisticLicenseGunSafety: Tragically common in RealLife, especially in the UsefulNotes/UnitedStates, [[UsefulNotes/AmericanGunPolitics where there are no laws requiring even basic safety training before acquiring a firearm of any sort]].

* AthensAndSparta: Modern examples would be Taiwan/China and South/North Korea.
** Taiwan is a growing democracy with a relaxed atmosphere, the originator of Milk Tea, and (unlike South Korea) conscription is not taken seriously. Whereas mainland China, although it hosts an anime convention (via [=BiliBili=]), is a totalitarian society with a tense and unfriendly environment and even give children, as young as kindergarteners, military training to prepare for a war.
** South Korea is a technologically advanced nation with a fast internet connection, hosts ''[=StarCraft=]'', and is (mildly, given conscription is SeriousBusiness) democratic. North Korea, on the other-hand, is a regressed (''Nineteen Eighty-Four-esque'') nation with scarce food, a ''huge'' military and a (Juche) communist dictatorship - spying and engaging in espionage with each other is a common occurence.

* BewilderingPunishment: Very common in abusive relationships and in dictatorships both, where punishing people without telling them what they are being punished for keeps them in fear of punishment and allows punishment with no proof of wrongdoing. This happens all the time in North Korea, where only after years of being imprisoned are you told what you actually did. People raised in the detention camps don't even know what they did until they're much older, and it's usually because of something their grandfather did or said.

* TheCaligula: The TropeNamer was a [[UsefulNotes/{{Caligula}} real life historical figure]], though if he actually was this trope and to what extent, is a matter of heavy debate among historians. That said, plenty of rulers throughout history could qualify as one. Someone who could count as a modern example would be [[UsefulNotes/NorthKorea Kim Jong-Un]].

* BadassBiker: More common in the past, but they do exist. Some examples of some using their badass façade for good are the Patriot Guard (which blocks PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Westboro Baptist Church protests at soldiers' funerals from being seen by the grieving family members) and at least one group that surrounds the homes of abused children that are testifying in trials against their abusers to prevent the abuser from returning.

* BadassArmy: Whether you see them as good or evil, the very fact that Britain and their army were able to take over ''[[https://web.archive.org/web/20150601174315/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6d/The_British_Empire_Anachronous.png one fourth of the world]]'' is pretty badass!
* BadassBiker: More common in the past, but they do exist. Some examples of some using their badass façade for good are the Patriot Guard (which blocks [[PoliticallyIncorrectVillain Westboro]] [[HeteronormativeCrusader Baptist]] [[ReligionOfEvil Church]] protests at soldiers' funerals from being seen by the grieving family members) and at least one group that surrounds the homes of abused children that are testifying in trials against their abusers to prevent the abuser from returning.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: UsefulNotes/NaziGermany. UsefulNotes/NorthKorea. Cults that attack, perpetrate crimes against, sue people in the outside world, or commit mass suicide. Abused spouses or family members that (sometimes violently) defend their abusers. Often specific to charismatic cults centered around an individual and or specific set of beliefs (including atheistic, religious, and political). These cults can control whole countries but are usually very small and insular. Usually far too self-destructive, insular, unstable, and paranoid to survive long.

* LesCollaborateurs: Has happened in ''many'' real life police states and totalitarian regimes. The Stasi was almost even worse than the Nazis with this - people collaborated with them ''too'' willingly.

* UsefulNotes/BatteriesNotIncluded: Children's toys eat batteries the way kids eat candy after Halloween, which is why Nintendo started making Platform/{{Game Boy}}s rechargeable in the 2000s. AndThereWasMuchRejoicing.

* AndIMustScream: The [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locked-in_syndrome locked-in syndrome]], a medical condition that makes the patient completely unable to move or communicate with other people, while also leaving them fully conscious and aware of what is happening around them and with them.

* CantTakeCriticism: Some people don't take it well when being pointed on their wrongs, especially if the criticism is harsh. Then there are those who just don't like criticism or being told that they're not perfect, period.

* CameraShy: Some people just don't like being photographed and/or filmed.

* BailEqualsFreedom: This is more common in democratic Latin American and South East Asian countries, where a suspect can be released from detainment at a local precinct by buying off the station. Note that this only works on lighter/petty crimes, this method will ''not'' work on criminals that commit heinous crimes.