History Analysis / ArgentinaIsNaziLand

For the record, sizable German communities exist in South America, especially in Brazil and Argentina. Germans have been in South America since the 16th century[[note]]When the Spanish let a German banking house run Venezuela for 30 years--[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein-Venedig no seriously]][[/note]], and the largest German communities (in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile) largely arrived in the late 19th century (well before World War II). Argentina is also home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of UsefulNotes/JuanDomingoPeron, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation that Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it was confirmed in 1998 via DNA testing that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists have still turned up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] as late as 2015.

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of UsefulNotes/JuanDomingoPeron, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation that Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists have still turned up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] as late as 2015.

In an ideologically inverted version of this trope, Erich Honecker, the last communist dictator of UsefulNotes/EastGermany, tried to flee to South America, specifically Chile, after the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall, when he was charged in connection with deaths there, by hiding in the country's embassy in Moscow. His wife, Margot Honecker, had already fled to Chile. He was ultimately ejected and returned to the reunified Germany, where legal proceedings were terminated in January 1993 on grounds of his having terminal liver cancer, after which he finally made it to Chile. After his death in May 1994, his widow stayed in Chile and remained a staunch Stalinist all the way to her death in 2016. Another inversion of this trope is [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler Oskar Schindler]], who famously bankrupted himself by [[Film/SchindlersList using his factory to save Jews]] threatened by UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, lived in Argentina for most of [[TheFifties the '50s]] to seek his fortune, [[ShaggyDogStory albeit failing to find it]], and returned to Germany afterwards and suffered further business failures and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished spent the rest of his life in poverty]], barely subsisting on donations by [[IOweYouMyLife Jews grateful for him saving them]].

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of UsefulNotes/JuanDomingoPeron, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists have still turned up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] as late as 2015.

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of UsefulNotes/JuanDomingoPeron, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists are still turning up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] even in 2015.

The reasons behind it, however, were not as simple as South American governments being evil and/or oblivious. Many countries sought to receive the [[HerrDoktor German scientists]] that worked for Hitler and improve their national development. The ''USA'', actually, got the most, including famous Wernher von Braun — although for the most part, the scientists [[ReluctantMadScientist only worked for the Nazis (and used the slave labour made available to them by the efforts of Albert Speer) because nobody else was hiring]]. Argentina's big "get" in this regard was aircraft designer Kurt Tank, who designed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FMA_IAe_33_Pulqui_II the first operational South American jet fighter]] for them. Argentine neutrality in World War II was not caused by popular support of Nazism, but by mere localism: for people, it was a distant war between foreign countries, with Argentina standing to profit most by continuing to sell raw resources and manufactured goods to both sides. Other countries in South America gave Nazis sanctuary thanks to what is now a rather uncomfortable relationship between the Catholic Church (which was big in both Central Europe and South America) and fascism (which was also big in both Central Europe and South America). One hypothesis is that it was individual clergymen helping national figures escape a Communist crackdown. Another is that the Vatican was seeking Catholic bulwarks against the Communist threat — although this should not be construed to suggest that the Catholic Church approved of Nazism ''per se'' since Vatican press releases from the 1930s and '40s explicitly equated fascism with paganism and declared the swastika a perversion of the Christian cross.

In an ideologically inverted version of this trope, Erich Honecker, the last communist dictator of UsefulNotes/EastGermany, tried to flee to South America, specifically Chile, after the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall, when he was charged in connection with deaths there, by hiding in the country's embassy in Moscow. His wife, Margot Honecker, had already fled to Chile. He was ultimately ejected and returned to the reunified Germany, where legal proceedings were terminated in January 1993 on grounds of his having terminal liver cancer, after which he finally made it to Chile. After his death in May 1994, his widow stayed in Chile and remained a staunch Stalinist all the way to her death in 2016. Another inversion of this trope is NSDAP TokenGoodTeammate [[NaziProtagonist Oskar]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler Schindler]], who famously bankrupted himself by [[Film/SchindlersList using his factory to save Jews]] threatened by UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, lived in Argentina for most of [[TheFifties the '50s]] to seek his fortune, [[ShaggyDogStory albeit failing to find it]], and returned to Germany afterwards and suffered further business failures and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished spent the rest of his life in poverty]], barely subsisting on donations by [[IOweYouMyLife Jews grateful for him saving them]].

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of UsefulNotes/JuanDomingoPeron, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught, but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists are still turning up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] even in 2015.

In an ideologically inverted version of this trope, Erich Honecker, the last communist dictator of UsefulNotes/EastGermany, tried to flee to South America, specifically Chile, after the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall, when he was charged in connection with deaths there, by hiding in the country's embassy in Moscow. His wife, Margot Honecker, had already fled to Chile. He was ultimately ejected and returned to the reunified Germany, where legal proceedings were terminated in January 1993 on grounds of his having terminal liver cancer, after which he finally made it to Chile. After his death in May 1994, his widow stayed in Chile and remained a staunch Stalinist all the way to her death in 2016. Another inversion of this trope is NSDAP TokenGoodTeammate [[NaziProtagonist Oskar]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler Schindler]], who famously bankrupted himself by [[Film/SchindlersList using his factory to save Jews]] threatened by UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, lived in Argentina for most of [[TheFifties the '50s]] to seek his fortune, [[ShaggyDogStory albeit failing find it]], and returned to Germany afterwards and suffered further business failures and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished spent the rest of his life in poverty]], barely subsisting on donations by [[IOweYouMyLife Jews grateful for him saving them]].

In an ideologically inverted version of this trope, Erich Honecker, the last communist dictator of UsefulNotes/EastGermany, tried to flee to South America, specifically Chile, after the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall, when he was charged in connection with deaths there, by hiding in the country's embassy in Moscow. His wife, Margot Honecker, had already fled to Chile. He was ultimately ejected and returned to the reunified Germany, where legal proceedings were terminated in January 1993 on grounds of his having terminal liver cancer, after which he finally made it to Chile. After his death in May 1994, his widow stayed in Chile and remained a staunch Stalinist all the way to her death in 2016. Another inversion of this trope is NSDAP TokenGoodTeammate [[NaziProtagonist Oskar]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler Schindler]], who famously bankrupted himself by [[Film/SchindlersList using his factory to save Jews]] threatened by UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, lived in Argentina for most of [[TheFifties the '50s]] to seek his fortune, [[ShaggyDogStory albeit failing to do so]], and returned to Germany afterwards and suffered further business failures and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished spent the rest of his life in poverty]], barely subsisting on donations by [[IOweYouMyLife Jews grateful for him saving them]].

In an ideologically inverted version of this trope, Erich Honecker, the last communist dictator of UsefulNotes/EastGermany, tried to flee to South America, specifically Chile, after the fall of the UsefulNotes/BerlinWall, when he was charged in connection with deaths there, by hiding in the country's embassy in Moscow. His wife, Margot Honecker, had already fled to Chile. He was ultimately ejected and returned to the reunified Germany, where legal proceedings were terminated in January 1993 on grounds of his having terminal liver cancer, after which he finally made it to Chile. After his death in May 1994, his widow stayed in Chile and remained a staunch Stalinist all the way to her death in 2016. Another inversion of this trope is NSDAP TokenGoodTeammate [[NaziProtagonist Oskar]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oskar_Schindler Schindler]], who famously bankrupted himself by [[Film/SchindlersList using his factory to save Jews]] threatened by UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust, lived in Argentina for most of [[TheFifties the 50s]] to seek his fortune, [[ShaggyDogStory albeit failing to do so]], and returned to Germany afterwards and suffered further business failures and [[NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished spent the rest of his life in poverty]], barely subsisting on donations by [[IOweYouMyLife Jews grateful for him saving them]].

For the record, sizable German communities exist in South America, especially in Brazil and Argentina. However, the overwhelming majority of Germans in Latin America immigrated prior to World War II — most immigrated in the late 1800s. Argentina is also home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the world.

The reasons behind it, however, were not as simple as South American governments being evil and/or oblivious. Many countries sought to receive the [[HerrDoktor German scientists]] that worked for Hitler and improve their national development. The ''USA'', actually, got the most, including famous Wernher von Braun — although for the most part, the scientists [[ReluctantMadScientist only worked for the Nazis (and used the slave labour made available to them by the efforts of Albert Speer) because nobody else was hiring]]. Argentine neutrality in World War II was not caused by popular support of Nazism, but by mere localism: for people, it was a distant war between foreign countries, with Argentina standing to profit most by continuing to sell raw resources and manufactured goods to both sides. Other countries in South America gave Nazis sanctuary thanks to what is now a rather uncomfortable relationship between the Catholic Church (which was big in both Central Europe and South America) and fascism (which was also big in both Central Europe and South America). One hypothesis is that it was individual clergymen helping national figures escape a Communist crackdown. Another is that the Vatican was seeking Catholic bulwarks against the Communist threat — although this should not be construed to suggest that the Catholic Church approved of Nazism ''per se'' since Vatican press releases from the 1930s and '40s explicitly equated fascism with paganism and declared the swastika a perversion of the Christian cross.

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of Juan Domingo Perón, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught, but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups on the main page, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists are still turning up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] even in 2015.

There is some TruthInTelevision to this: yes, several Nazis escaped to Argentina and were allowed safe passage by the government of Juan Domingo Perón, most notoriously Adolf Eichmann (who was captured by the Mossad, put on trial in Israel, and executed in 1962) and Josef Mengele (who never did get caught, but allegedly died in a scuba diving accident off the coast of Brazil in 1979). Alfred Naujocks, one of the masterminds of the Gleiwitz FalseFlagOperation Germany used to justify invading Poland, was also instrumental in arranging safe passage of Nazis to Latin America. As may be seen in some of the trope write-ups below, there was also a popular belief during the 1970s and 1980s that Martin Bormann, the most senior Nazi not accounted for in 1945, had escaped to South America, although it's now believed by most historians that he died in battle during the fall of Berlin. More recently, archaeologists are still turning up [[https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/possible-nazi-hideaway-found-deep-within-argentinian-jungle.html secret hideaways and relics]] even in 2015.