History Main / GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel

In [[RealLife reality]], a Nazi victory (depending on how one actually defines "victory") seems to have been quite improbable. The Allies were in reality ''much'' more powerful in many ways -- including both population and industrial capacity -- than the Axis, and Hitler allying with Russia and Japan was always done in the knowledge that [[InevitableMutualBetrayal sooner or later one would turn on the other]] (Hitler just wanted to get the first stab in). There was no single, easily changeable factor contributing to the Allied success, and it is likely that ''many'' changes to history, perhaps stretching back to the outcome of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the previous war]] or further, would be needed for Germany to have a decent chance of winning. In fact, any possible chance of them winning would have been so precarious that the inverse of the trope would make much more sense -- that any time tampering starting with a timeline where the Axis won would lead to a world where they didn't. Even if they won, if you are a Continentalist historian then you'll argue that Hitler ''never'' plotted to TakeOverTheWorld and 'just' wanted a German superstate dominating Europe, so the United States and many other non-European countries probably wouldn't be flying the Swastika. And even in Europe, chances are Nazi Germany would eventually dissolve itself back into its constituent republics just like the Soviet Union did, though likely not before [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust every Jew and other "undesirable" in Europe was dead]].

* The Creator/ConnieWillis novel ''Literature/ToSayNothingOfTheDog'', in which the disappearance of an obscure item of Victoriana in an English cathedral leads to the Nazis winning [=WW2=]. In the setting of Connie Willis's time travel stories, the danger of Nazis winning World War II is catastrophic, because in the backstory, the inventor of time travel was a descendant of Holocaust survivors, which would mean time travel would never exist in the first place. In ''Literature/{{Blackout}}''/''All Clear'', the protagonists spend a lot of time worrying that [[ForWantOfANail whatever little thing they do]] will make the Nazis win.

In [[RealLife reality]], a Nazi victory (depending on how one actually defines "victory") seems to have been quite improbable. The Allies were in reality ''much'' more powerful in many ways -- including both population and industrial capacity -- than the Axis, and Hitler allying with Russia and Japan was always done in the knowledge that [[InevitableMutualBetrayal sooner or later one would turn on the other]] (Hitler just wanted to get the first stab in). There was no single, easily changeable factor contributing to the Allied success, and it is likely that ''many'' changes to history, perhaps stretching back to the outcome of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the previous war]] or further, would be needed for Germany to have a decent chance of winning. In fact, any possible chance of them winning would have been so precarious that the inverse of the trope would make much more sense -- that any time tampering starting with a timeline where the Axis won would lead to a world where they didn't. Even if they won, if you are a Continentalist historian then you'll argue that Hitler ''never'' plotted to TakeOverTheWorld and 'just' wanted a a German superstate dominating Europe, so the United States and many other non-European countries probably wouldn't be flying the Swastika. And even in Europe, chances are Nazi Germany would eventually dissolve itself back into its constituent republics just like the Soviet Union did, though likely not before [[UsefulNotes/TheHolocaust every Jew and other "undesirable" in Europe was dead]].

->''"The first rule of time travel is that any and all modifications made to the timeline result in Hitler winning World War II. Run over a hippy in 1968? Hitler wins."''

''As the amount of time-traveling you do increases, the probability of Hitler winning World War II approaches one.''

You return home from your jolly time travel adventure in ancient Greece, having saved the world and being careful not to upset history and.. hold on a moment? Are those ''swastikas?!'' Hanging from the ''White House?!'' Looks like you've been hit by Godwin's Law of Time Travel.

Talked to the wrong person? Nazi victory! [[GivingRadioToTheRomans Left technology back in the Roman Empire?]] Nazi victory! [[ButterflyOfDoom Stepped on a bug?]] Nazi victory! Left a tap running? Nazi victory! [[BeenThereShapedHistory Took part in some historical event?]] Nazi victory! [[MortonsFork Prevented a Nazi victory]]? [[DistinctionWithoutADifference Nazi victory!]] [[MakeWrongWhatOnceWentRight Caused a Nazi victory intentionally]]? Well... that one's on you this time.

About the only time travel that ''doesn't'' result in a Nazi Victory is traveling to times after WWII (including the future)... unless a neo-Nazi steals your time travel pod to [[StupidJetpackHitler help out Hitler]].

The strangest thing about Time Travel is probably that a) the Nazis winning WWII is the most common accidental timeline shift and b) that will usually be the only change in the new timeline. It almost seems like Germany was ''supposed'' to win, and that history is [[RubberBandHistory trying to snap back to its original form]]. Perhaps Germany actually won, and a neo-ally traveled back in time to make sure the Allies won by making Hitler depressed or convincing him to declare war on his ostensible ally whose long cold winters had defeated numerous invaders before him.

Interestingly, in [[RealLife reality]], a Nazi victory (though depending on how one actually defines "victory") seems to have been quite improbable. The Allies were in reality ''much'' more powerful in many ways -- including both population and industrial capacity -- than the Axis, and Hitler allying with Russia and Japan was always done in the knowledge that [[InevitableMutualBetrayal sooner or later one would turn on the other]] (Hitler just wanted to get the first stab in). There was no single, easily changeable factor contributing to the Allied success, and it is likely that ''many'' changes to history, perhaps stretching back to the outcome of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the previous war]] or further, would be needed for Germany to have a decent chance of winning. In fact, any possible chance of them winning would have been so precarious that the inverse of the trope would make much more sense -- that any time tampering starting with a timeline where the Axis won would lead to a world where they didn't. Even if they won, if you are Continentalist-historian then you'll argue that Hitler ''never'' plotted to TakeOverTheWorld and just wanted to re-establish a German superstate dominating Europe, so the United States and many other non-European countries probably wouldn't be flying the Swastika. And even in Europe, chances are Nazi Germany would eventually dissolve itself back into its constituent republics just like the Soviet Union did, though likely not before [[AMillionIsAStatistic every Jew and other "undesirable" in Europe was dead]].

** Averted on various alternative Earths. In all their travels, they never went to a world where the Nazis won and conquered the world. The closest ones were the world in the episode "California Reich" (where the United States is run by white supremacists and non-Aryan people are turned into slave labor cyborgs), and the Cold War World in the two-hour premiere (where the USSR rules the world).

When the time traveler tries to '''prevent''' the Third Reich altogether, and inevitably fails, it's HitlersTimeTravelExemptionAct. For the consequences of "Nazis Win" scenarios and other such stories that don't always involve time travel, see AlternateHistoryNaziVictory and DayOfTheJackboot.

* A [[Administrivia/TropesAreFlexible broader version of this]] is usually played straight in the alternate history videos of whatifalthist, such that it can be gleaned that he believes the modern triumph of liberal democracy is both historically unlikely and temporary, considering that so many of his timelines result in a totalitarian state of some kind (not just Nazi, but also Soviet-communist or Islamist) being a major superpower in the world, and not succumbing to any of the flaws that doomed their RealLife counterparts. This often happens even if the point of divergence has nothing to do with Nazism or politics at all, and seems especially likely when the change would appear to result in a better timeline than the real one (such as "what if the transatlantic slave trade never happened?")

The strangest thing about Time Travel is probably that a) the Nazis winning WWII is the most common accidental timeline shift and b) that will usually be the only change in the new timeline. It almost seems like Germany was ''supposed'' to win, and that history is [[RubberBandHistory trying to snap back to its original form.]] Perhaps Germany actually won, and a neo-ally traveled back in time to make sure the Allies won by making Hitler depressed or convincing him to declare war on his ostensible ally whose long cold winters had defeated numerous invaders before him.

Interestingly, in [[RealLife reality]], a Nazi victory (though depending on how one actually defines "victory") seems to have been quite improbable. The Allies were in reality ''much'' more powerful in many ways — including both population and industrial capacity — than the Axis, and Hitler allying with Russia and Japan was always done in the knowledge that [[InevitableMutualBetrayal sooner or later one would turn on the other]] (Hitler just wanted to get the first stab in). There was no single, easily changeable factor contributing to the Allied success, and it is likely that ''many'' changes to history, perhaps stretching back to the outcome of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the previous war]] or further, would be needed for Germany to have a decent chance of winning. In fact, any possible chance of them winning would have been so precarious that the inverse of the trope would make much more sense - that any time tampering starting with a timeline where the Axis won would lead to a world where they didn't. Even if they won, if you are Continentalist-historian then you'll argue that Hitler ''never'' plotted to TakeOverTheWorld and just wanted to re-establish a German superstate dominating Europe, so the United States and many other non-European countries probably wouldn't be flying the Swastika. And even in Europe, chances are Nazi Germany would eventually dissolve itself back into its constituent republics just like the Soviet Union did, though likely not before [[AMillionIsAStatistic every Jew and other “undesirable” in Europe was dead]].

* The ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "City on the Edge of Forever" has a plot where [=McCoy=] saving the life of Kirk's GirlOfTheWeek causes a peace movement that leads to the US losing WWII and the Federation never existing. [[spoiler: The episode ends with Kirk letting her die to preserve history.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' episode "Father Time", Timmy accidentally destroys his dad's prized trophy, one he had won in the past in a school race. Timmy feels the best way to help his dad out is change the past so he never won the trophy. After time traveling back and achieving his goal, he returns to the present only to find that he has changed the course of his dad's life. He never married Timmy's mom and became dictator of the world, and Timmy technically doesn't exist. Timmy decides to go back in time again so he can make his dad win the trophy.
** In fact, ''The Fairly [=OddParents=]!'' loves playing with this story. In "The Secret Origin of Denzel Crocker" Timmy goes back in time to Mr. Crocker's childhood to find why he has become the insane, miserable, fairy-obsessed person he is. Through a sequence of events, Timmy winds up being the one that caused Crocker to turn into what he is.
** In "Timmy Turnip", Timmy goes to the past to stop his grandparents from coming to America, since they are low-tech and poor. That means Timmy and his parents were born and raised in the grandparents' native country. Timmy goes back once again to get his grandparents to America.

* The book ''Literature/MakingHistory'' features the protagonist sending a pill to cause male sterility back to the water supply of the village where Hitler would be born, erasing him from existence. Naturally, his absence during an incident in the trenches of the First World War results in the survival of a German soldier who would normally die, and he goes on to become a fascist, anti-Semitic dictator anyway--except he's smarter than Hitler, so he wins World War Two. The protagonist wakes up the next day and finds that he's in New Jersey rather than England, his grandparents having fled England in the face of a Nazi invasion. Major changes this has on the United States are that the anti-Communist paranoia during the Cold War is shifted against the Nazis, and that homosexuality is still completely banned. This world also has much more advanced computing and electronics, for unknown reasons. There are a variety of other small differences mentioned. Horrible dramatic irony pops up because the poisoned water supply is later used to sterilize Jews and other undesirables, therefore committing genocide ''indirectly''.

* [[http://www.exiern.com/?page_id=1195/ This comic]] was created by when the author of ''Webcomic/{{Exiern}}'' read this Wiki/TVTropes page.

Interestingly, in [[RealLife reality]], a Nazi victory (though depending on how one actually defines "victory") seems to have been quite improbable. The Allies were in reality ''much'' more powerful in many ways — including both population and industrial capacity — than the Axis, and Hitler allying with Russia and Japan was always done in the knowledge that [[InevitableMutualBetrayal sooner or later one would turn on the other]] (Hitler just wanted to get the first stab in). There was no single, easily changeable factor contributing to the Allied success, and it is likely that ''many'' changes to history, perhaps stretching back to the outcome of [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarI the previous war]] or further, would be needed for Germany to have a decent chance of winning. (In fact, the inverse of the trope would make much more sense - that any time tampering starting with a timeline where the Axis won would lead to a world where they didn't.) Even if they won, if you are Continentalist-historian then you'll argue that Hitler ''never'' plotted to TakeOverTheWorld and just wanted to re-establish a German superstate dominating Europe, so the United States and many other countries probably wouldn't be flying the Swastika. And even in Europe, chances are Nazi Germany would eventually dissolve itself just like the Soviet Union did, though likely not before [[AMillionIsAStatistic every Jew and other “undesirable” in Europe was dead]].

Godwin's Law of Time Travel can also be used in telling similar stories about other past war-losers and faded empires. The Confederacy, the Soviets, the Romans, the Greeks, the Mongols, the Egyptians, the [[ModernMayincatecEmpire Aztecs]], and the colonial-era British are all possibilities. The Nazis are by far the most dominant in this field, however. Other than in [[SteamPunk steampunk]], that is (but steampunk universe usually happens without time-travel).

** A DC Main/{{Elseworlds}} mini-series, ''Comicbook/{{Superman}}/Comicbook/WonderWoman; Whom Gods Destroy'', shows a world where Kal-El arrived on Earth before 1920 and became a hero during World War II. His presence led to the Nazis escalating their weapons programs to the point where they beat the Allies in the A-Bomb race, and nuked Metropolis, resulting in an uneasy truce between the US and Germany. It also had the nasty side-effect that the Nazis were able to quickly hide the Holocaust from the world - Superman learns of it in the 60's, and by then thanks to complex peace treaties, there's nothing Superman can do about it.

* The novel trilogy ''[[Literature/XMenChaosEngineTrilogy The Chaos Engine]]'' has the ComicBook/RedSkull using a Cosmic Cube to create this reality...or so he thinks. In reality, the Cube is faulty and works by searching alternate realities and merging elements of them together, or entire alternate universes depending on the scale of the wish. Thanks to the wish, the Nazi's not only won World War II and conquered the planet, they rule an expanionsist, tyrannical and genocidal ''intergalactic empire'' under the Skull's leadership.

* Part of the premise of the play ''Theatre/{{Copenhagen}}'', although it's less a case of time travel and more a case of historical figures looking back from the afterlife and speculating about what might have happened if they'd done things slightly differently. The main focus of their speculation is a meeting that took place in the early part of WWII between the two main characters, good friends Bohr (who wound up working for the Allies) and Heisenberg (who was working for the Nazis), when both were hovering right on the verge of making a breakthrough that would lead to the development of atomic weapons, but neither had quiiiiiiiiiite hit the necessary Eureka moment yet.

* In ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert'', Einstein creates a time machine so he can kill Hitler, but returns to find that World War II still happened, except this time it was the USSR that invaded Europe. It is referred to as the Great World War II in the manual and is said to have been many times more destructive than our World War II.
** ''[[VideoGame/CommandAndConquerRedAlert3 Red Alert 3]]'' takes this even further: just as the USSR is about to lose its second engagement with the European/American Allies, Soviet soldiers go back in time to kill ''Einstein''. When they come home they find that the USSR is winning! Hurray! Except now because the Allies and USSR were spending all their time bombing each other, neither of them saw the ''Japanese'' gaining power...

* The ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' episode "The Best Christmas Story Never Told" features a UsefulNotes/{{Soviet|RussiaUkraineAndSoOn}} variant. After traveling back in time to [[TheSeventies 1970s]] Hollywood, Stan meets a young Creator/MartinScorsese and ends up convincing him to quit drugs. In effect, Scorsese never makes ''Film/TaxiDriver''. Without ''Taxi Driver,'' John Hinckley Jr. never becomes obsessed with Creator/JodieFoster and thus never tries to assassinate UsefulNotes/RonaldReagan in order to impress her. Without the sympathy vote that would've occurred as a result of the assassination attempt, Reagan loses re-election to Walter Mondale, who hands over control of the country to the Soviet Union. Everything gets reset to a CloseEnoughTimeline at the end of the episode, though.

* This trope serves as a major plot point in the ninth and tenth instalments of Creator/DavPilkey’s ''[[Literature/CaptainUnderpants]]'' series. Doubles as a TakeThat to both books’ lengthy delay, as it’s implied that Tippy Tinkletrousers’ cameo at the end of the previous (eighth) instalment was a result of this, preventing George and Harold from getting into jail.