History Main / FormerRegimePersonnel

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[[quoteright:350:[[Film/RosenFuerDenStaatsanwalt https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/plakat_zu_dem_film_rosen_fuer_den_staatsanwalt_47319.jpg]]]]
[[caption-width-right:350:From [[PoliticalOfficer military inquisitor]] to [[AmoralAttorney civilian prosecutor]].]]

* [[spoiler:Simon and Chief Chef of Russian Sushi]] in ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'' were both part of the KGB before the Soviet Union fell, after which they joined TheMafiya together. As of now, they're both hiding from the organization in Japan and one of them has become a major [[TheAtoner Atoner]].

* A fantasy version occurs in ''Anime/FairyGone'', which is set on a continent that has recently concluded a massive war that ended with one empire dominating and annexing every other country. Several of the major characters are former soldiers from these now non-existent countries, and not all of them are happy with the new status quo.

* ComicBook/IronMan villain Boris Bullski, alias the Titanium Man, became a supervillainous mercenary following the collapse of the USSR. Several versions of the Crimson Dynamo have done the same.

* ''Film/TheInternational''. Wexler, the most [[HeelFaceTurn disillusioned member]] of the [[WarForFunAndProfit IBBC]], is revealed to be a once-fanatical communist and high-ranking member of the Stasi.
* In ''Film/TheLivesOfOthers'', the protagonist, a Stasi officer, ends up [[spoiler:working as a postman]] after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

* ''Literature/JamesBond'' features Colonel von Hammerstein in ''Literature/ForYourEyesOnly''. He used to be in the Gestapo, then after the war fled to the Caribbean and worked his way up through the ranks of a Cuban crime syndicate.

* One small part of ''[[Literature/{{Daemon}} Freedom]]'' gives us the viewpoint of a mercenary who used to serve in the regime of Romanian Communist leader Nicolae Ceaușescu.
* In the ''Literature/HonorHarrington'' novels, the fall of the [[PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny People's Republic of Haven]] and the restoration of the old Republic put StateSec's private navy out of a job. Those who weren't hunted down by the Navy fled the Republic, and typically turned pirate. Two were destroyed by ''HMS Hexapuma'' in ''Shadow of Saganami''. [[spoiler:Most were eventually rounded up into the [[TheRemnant People's Navy in Exile]], which was effectively a mercenary organization employed by Manpower Incorporated. They launched an attack on Torch, only to be stopped by a Commodore Roszak of the Maya Sector.]]

* In Creator/RobertEHoward's ''Literature/ShadowsInTheMoonlight'', Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian was one of the mercenaries of a rebel prince until he made his peace.
-->''I was one of those dissolute rogues, the Free Companions, who burned and looted along the borders. There were five thousand of us, from a score of races and tribes. We had been serving as mercenaries for a rebel prince in eastern Korb, most of us, and when he made peace with his cursed sovereign, we were out of employment; so we took to plundering the outlying dominions of Koth, Zamora and Turan impartially. ''
* In ''Literature/TheSumOfAllFears'', the FalseFlagOperation that was part of the terrorists' plans [[spoiler:to get the US and Soviet Union fighting one another]] was assisted by several former agents of the East German [[StateSec Stasi]], who also arranged for the technical expert to work on the [[spoiler:nuclear]] bomb they had acquired.

* ''Literature/TheInstitute'': The titular institute is staffed almost entirely by former military personnell, most of whom have no families or lost contact with the family they still had.
* Andres de Boya from ''Literature/CatChaser'' is a former general who served under Rafael Trujillo's government. He's heavily involved with the mob and keeps the facade of being a simple real estate developer.

* A good deal of ex-KGB personnel turn up in ''Series/BurnNotice''. Sometimes these are employed by [[UsefulNotes/TheNewRussia Russian intelligence]], sometimes [[TheMafiya they]] [[PrivateMilitaryContractors are not]].

* ''Series/{{MacGyver|1985}}'' tackles multiple intelligence agencies during the series - once, he gets involved in a case of former-East German intelligence operatives trying to locate and retrieve their smuggled, stolen gold from the States.
* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': The Amnesty Program is an obvious reference to Operation: Paperclip, re-educating and integrating former Imperials into employment with the New Republic (although it turns out the New Republic has no interest in Dr. Pershing's field of research). ''Series/{{Ahsoka}}'' follows up on this, with one New Republic senator mentioning they have former Imperials at every level of the New Republic government. This particular senator feels these former personnel are now beyond reproach, because after all, they pledged an oath of loyalty to the New Republic. It's shown that some paint themselves as [[PunchClockVillain Punch Clock Villains]] who only sided with the Empire for money, but this does mean some of them are just as willing to turn back to their former employers for more money.

* ''{{Series/Treadstone}}'' has two such groups

* Downplayed, but defiantly present in ''{{Series/Vikings}}''. Earl Haraldsson has a group of bodyguards who are played by the same recurring extras. When [[spoiler:Ragnar kills earl Haraldsson in a duel and takes over his position]] they continue to appear in the show [[spoiler: as Ragnar's bodyguards.]] Some of them continue to appear well into season 5 and are notably the ones to [[spoiler: carry Ragnar into Paris so he can perform his BatmanGambit]].
** In season 6, [[spoiler: king Harald]] sends a cadre of warriors to take down Björn. One of them is a former member of [[spoiler: Ivar's]] bodyguard that Björn sent into outlawry in the beginning of the season.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''

* The mercenary companies available for hire in ''VideoGame/StarCraftIIWingsOfLiberty'' include several elite forces from the defeated Terran Confederacy, one from the defeated United Earth Directorate invasion force, and one that went rogue from the ''current'' (but threatened) iron-fisted dictatorship, the Dominion. The rest are typical thugs, pirates and adventure capitalists.
* Deathstroke's single player ending in ''VideoGame/InjusticeGodsAmongUs'' sees him recruiting members of Superman's fallen Regime to form his own mercenary outfit called the New Titans.
* The PlayerCharacter in Harebrained Schemes' ''VideoGame/{{Battletech}}'' is a former noble and royal guard of the Aurigan Coalition who was ousted (alongside the coalition's leadership) during a coup, and end up becoming a mercenary. The main story of the game involves you being hired by said ousted leadership in an attempt to overthrow the ones behind the coup and their government.
* Most of the aliens from ''VideoGame/XCOMChimeraSquad'' are effectively this, with the regime in question being [[VichyEarth ADVENT]] which was defeated in ''VideoGame/{{XCOM2}}''.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Several mercenaries from ''Webcomic/SchlockMercenary'' got their starts in formal military commands. Kaff Tagon and Gunther Thurl are both former UNS personel, and the most famous mercenary InUniverse, Colonel Drake Pranger of [[EgocentricTeamNaming "Pranger's Bangers"]] was a colonel in the Daern military before being downsized by a pacifist government. In accordance to this trope Pranger later found himself employed by the Daern government putting down a revolt, though after successfully putting it down (causing a peaceful regime change in the process) he responded to an offer of his old job back with a polite refusal and a number of not-so-polite hand gestures behind their backs, and went back to being a mercenary.

[[folder:Web Original]]
* ''Literature/TheFireNeverDies'':
** Many American officers and soldiers who opposed the Revolution but survived it choose to take their skills elsewhere:
*** UsefulNotes/DwightDEisenhower moves to Germany.
*** A significant number of former US Navy personnel, including Vice Admiral Austin Knight, offer their services to China.
*** Admiral William Caperton ends up as an instructor for the Royal South African Navy.
*** The failed coup in Haiti is supported by mercenaries who previously fought for the United States and the Mexican Constitutionalists.

* During the 1980s and 1990s, UsefulNotes/{{China}} underwent [[UsefulNotes/ToGetRichIsGlorious a significant period of modernization and economic reform]] after UsefulNotes/MaoZedong died. A major aspect of this process involved the Chinese Communist Party's civilian government working to downsize the Chinese military and [[https://web.archive.org/web/20220901052448/https://www.idsa-india.org/an-may9-4.html break up]] [[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB9017387737678000 the PLA's]] [[http://congressionalresearch.com/98-197/document.php nationwide business empire]],[[note]]A process that [[http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=403591 still continues]] [[https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/xi-jinping-orders-chinas-military-to-shut-kindergartens-businesses-1893604 well into the 21st century]][[/note]] which it was using to finance itself and operate as a state within a state. A lot of PLA soldiers found themselves discharged and being unable to reintegrate into civilian life, a large number of them turned to crime, especially in [[https://archive.is/086ZT Hong Kong]]. For an [[https://www.walterdehavilland.com/crime-in-hong-kong.html almost 15 year period]] until Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, many ex-PLA soldiers were involved in violent robberies and shootings under the direction of Triad gangs and other organized crime syndicates, helped by their access to fully automatic firearms and explosives. Many of the wild shootouts in Creator/JohnWoo's early HeroicBloodshed movies were inspired by the crime wave sweeping Hong Kong at the time of filming.

* ''Series/TheMandalorian'': The Amnesty Program is an obvious reference to Operation: Paperclip, re-educating and integrating former Imperials into employment with the New Republic (although it turns out the New Republic has no interest in Dr. Pershing's field of research).

--> ''"You cannot pour away the dirty water if you haven't got any clean water!"''

** Leonardo [=DiCaprio=]'s character is a former Rhodesian mercenary turned diamond smuggler. His character is an inversion in this instance as Archer was never depicted as a former soldier of the Rhodesian state. He pretty much went straight into mercenary work (albeit under the wing of Colonel Coetzee) after the Rhodesia fell.
** Colonel Coetzee is a straight example, as he became a mercenary when Apartheid ended in South Africa.

-->-- '''[[UsefulNotes/TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor Konrad Adenauer]]'''

-->-- '''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor Konrad Adenauer]]''', defending his decision to employ former Nazis in his post-war government.

--> ''You cannot pour away the dirty water if you haven't got any clean water!''

When a large autocracy, particularly one with a major military force, changes to a more liberal and pacifist style of government, you will find a lot of highly-trained people out of a job.

--> ''You cannot pour away the dirty water if you haven't got any clean water!''
-->-- '''[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/UsefulNotes/TheChancellorsOfGermany Chancellor Konrad Adenauer]]''', defending his decision to employ former Nazis in his post-war government.

* In ''Film/ApartmentZero'', it turns out that [[spoiler: Jack]] was part of the death squads in Argentina.
* ''Film/NamAngels'': [[BigBad Chard]] went through this twice, initially serving in UsefulNotes/NaziGermany's Waffen-SS during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII before ending up in the French Foreign Legion and being sent to their Vietnam colony. After the civil war happened, he broke off on his own and became a warlord.

The former [[RenegadeRussian USSR]], [[BalkanBastard Yugoslavia]], and [[AmoralAfrikaner South Africa]] are good sources for them. Many members of TheMafiya may be ex-Soviet military or ex-KGB, as many were let go without a pension. Note that during the UsefulNotes/ColdWar, it was kinda taboo among TheMafiya to accept ex-military or ex-KGB people, but during the Nineties it all broke.

* [[spoiler:Simon and Chief Chef of Russian Sushi]] in ''LightNovel/{{Durarara}}'' were both part of the KGB before the Soviet Union fell, after which they joined TheMafiya together. As of now, they're both hiding from the organization in Japan and one of them has become a major [[TheAtoner Atoner]].
* ''Anime/{{Monster}}'' takes place in post-unification Germany, and has some ex-members of secret [[UsefulNotes/EastGermany GDR]] organizations.

* In the ''VideoGame/AceCombat'' series, a ''lot'' of Belkan officers and military personnel emigrated to other countries after their defeat in the Belkan War and an aggressive demilitarization of Belka by the Allies. Notable examples: Ashley Bernitz (BonusBoss in ''[[VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar Zero]]'' mission 10) leads the Osean Grabacr Squadron in ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar AC5]]''; ditto Michael Heimeroth for Yuktobanian Ofnir Squadron; Wolfgang "Huckebein the Raven" Buchner [[spoiler:a.k.a. Peter N. "Pops" Beagle]] became mechanic in Osea (though he defected before the war ended); it has been speculated that [[http://acecombat.wikia.com/wiki/Erich_Klinsmann Erich Klinsmann]] (from the same mission) is actually Yellow 13 from ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies AC04]]'' and Axel Reichert (mission 5) is Scarface One from ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat2 AC2]]''; Lorenz Riedel (mission boss in mission 17, Soldier path) designed the Estovakian {{Airborne Aircraft Carrier}}s in ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat6FiresOfLiberation AC6]]''; also, it's safe to assume that Belkan emigrants developed the Osean ''Arkbird'' laser, based on Excalibur, and the Yuktobanian ''Scinfaxi''-class submarines in ''[[VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar AC5]]''. The Belkan War is one of the two seminal events of ''AC'' world history, along with the [[DeathFromAbove Ulysses meteorite]].

* During the 1980s and 1990s, UsefulNotes/{{China}} underwent [[UsefulNotes/ToGetRichIsGlorious a significant period of modernization and economic reform]] after UsefulNotes/MaoZedong died. A major aspect of this process involved the Chinese Communist Party's civilian government working to downsize the Chinese military and [[https://www.idsa-india.org/an-may9-4.html break up]] [[https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB9017387737678000 the PLA's]] [[http://congressionalresearch.com/98-197/document.php nationwide business empire]],[[note]]A process that [[http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=403591 still continues]] [[https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/xi-jinping-orders-chinas-military-to-shut-kindergartens-businesses-1893604 well into the 21st century]][[/note]] which it was using to finance itself and operate as a state within a state. A lot of PLA soldiers found themselves discharged and being unable to reintegrate into civilian life, a large number of them turned to crime, especially in [[https://archive.is/086ZT Hong Kong]]. For an [[https://www.walterdehavilland.com/crime-in-hong-kong.html almost 15 year period]] until Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, many ex-PLA soldiers were involved in violent robberies and shootings under the direction of Triad gangs and other organized crime syndicates, helped by their access to fully automatic firearms and explosives. Many of the wild shootouts in Creator/JohnWoo's early HeroicBloodshed movies were inspired by the crime wave sweeping Hong Kong at the time of filming.

* Most of the characters in ''Film/Ronin1998' are former spies and soldiers who were turfed out after the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ended. They're explicitly compared to the ''{{ronin}}'' of Japanese history: master-less samurai, stripped of honor, WalkingTheEarth and working for money as bandits, mercenaries or bodyguards. [[spoiler: Though one of the major characters never left their organization, playing TheMole in so they could neutralize the guy who hired the mercenaries.]]

* Most of the characters in ''Film/{{Ronin}}'' are former spies and soldiers who were turfed out after the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ended. They're explicitly compared to the ''{{ronin}}'' of Japanese history: master-less samurai, stripped of honor, WalkingTheEarth and working for money as bandits, mercenaries or bodyguards. [[spoiler: Though one of the major characters never left their organization, playing TheMole in so they could neutralize the guy who hired the mercenaries.]]

* It is strongly hinted in ''Series/BreakingBad'' that Gus Fring, who is originally from Chile, was involved in some way with the Pinochet regime back in TheEighties, especially when Hector mockingly refers to him as the "generalissimo" and Don Eladio implies that Gus had a big reputation in his home country.

** The closing down of Project Treadstone and Project Blackfriar resulted in a number of skilled scientists and agents being fired from the CIA. One doctor who specialized in brain washing techniques now works as stage hypnotist in Las Vegas. Of greater concern are a group of sleeper agents who have been abandomned by their controllers but are now being reactivated by a nefarious third party.
** The other group are your classic ex-KGB agents who went into business for themselves. Petra is a zealous communist who spent the last twenty years guarding a nuclear missile as part of a KGB group dedicated to restoring the Soviet Union. When she re-emerges in the present day, she is furious to discover that her co-conspirators have abandomned the cause and are now planning on selling the missile to the highest bidder.