History Main / PiggybackingOnHitler

* ''ComicBook/FlashGordonZeitgeist'' has Ming The Merciless making Hitler his representative on Earth and backing the Nazis with alien technology.

[[quoteright:320:[[ComicBook/RedSkull https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/untitled_1.gif]]]]

Compare/contrast with DragonWithAnAgenda; here you don't need to be TheDragon, and with this trope you get an instantly recognizable yardstick of evil for the villain to compare himself to and to rob of funds. Contrast with WeDidntStartTheFuhrer for the times when the roles are inverted and Hitler is the dragon of an even more terrible villain.

A villain joins the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, impresses UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler enough to get his own squadron/unit, then uses these resources for his own gain. This villain often sees Hitler as just another obstacle to overcome later. This trope also works if you substitute Hitler/Nazis with any other historical dictators (UsefulNotes/JosephStalin, Kim Jong-Il, Pol Pot, etc.) or {{Evil Colonialist}}s (such as UsefulNotes/HernanCortez, etc), but those examples are less prevalent without HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

A villain joins the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, impresses UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler enough to get his own squadron/unit, then uses these resources for his own gain. This villain often sees Hitler as just another obstacle to overcome later. This trope also works if you substitute Hitler/Nazis with any other historical dictators (UsefulNotes/JosephStalin, Kim Jong-Il, Pol Pot, etc.) or {{Evil Colonialist}}s (such as UsefulNotes/ChristopherColumbus, UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill, etc), but those examples are less prevalent without HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

A villain joins the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, impresses UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler enough to get his own squadron/unit, then uses these resources for his own gain. This villain often sees Hitler as just another obstacle to overcome later. This trope also works if you substitute Hitler/Nazis with any other historical dictators (UsefulNotes/JosephStalin, Kim Jong-Il, Pol Pot, etc.) or {{Evil Colonialist}}s (such as UsefulNotes/WinstonChurchill, etc), but those examples are less prevalent without HistoricalVillainUpgrade.

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* In the backstory of ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia allied with the Nazis in order to take the Holy Grail from Fuyuki, Japan during the Third Holy Grail War that occurred during the time of World War II. Apparently, the idea of a supposedly-omnipotent wish-granting device was quite tempting. While they failed to make the Holy Grail properly manifest, they did succeed in successfully stealing the Greater Grail mechanism that was key to the ritual and would allow them to start another Holy Grail War at a later date to try again. En-route back to Germany, however, Darnic [[ManipulativeBastard betrayed and killed the entire unit in order to take the Greater Grail back to his homeland of Romania]], where he went underground for the next 60-70 years to set up his next war. Indeed, everything suggests, like the major villains of the ''Franchise/IndianaJones'' films, Darnic didn't care at all about Nazi ideology and just used them as one of many {{Unwitting Pawn}}s for his own gain.
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* In the backstory of ''LightNovel/FateApocrypha'', Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia allied with the Nazis in order to take the Holy Grail from Fuyuki, Japan during the Third Holy Grail War that occurred during the time of World War II. Apparently, the idea of a supposedly-omnipotent wish-granting device was quite tempting. Once they had it and en-route back to Germany, however, Darnic [[ManipulativeBastard betrayed and killed the entire unit in order to take the Grail back to his homeland of Romania]], where he went underground for the next 60-70 years to set up his next war to gain its power for himself.

* Rasputin in the ''Film/{{Hellboy|2004}}'' film.

* In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresTimewyrmExodus Timewyrm: Exodus]]'', the War Lords do this. This results in an alternate timeline where [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel the Nazis win the war.]]

* In ''Literature/ThePearlandtheCarnelian'', Eugen von Frenzel is a rather mundane example. He is hardly an ardent National Socialist; however, he panders to Nazi ideas in his research and writing in hope to advance his own academic career.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al Ghul allied with the Nazis to further [[EcoTerrorist his goal]] of [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans wiping out 90% of the human race to stave off]] {{overpopulation|Crisis}}, including taking part in the Holocaust. One of the victims was his own daughter and her family — she survived, they did not; she was ''mightily'' upset with him.

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', the ComicBook/RedSkull (Johann Schmidt) sets up HYDRA like this. It's not until his Nazi allies notice that Berlin is on his list of targets that they [[OhCrap realize]] he isn't exactly on their side. It later turns out that HYDRa [[spoiler: is actually an ancient cult much older and more powerful than the Nazis that manages to vastly outlive them.]]

* In ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheFirstAvenger'', the ComicBook/RedSkull (Johann Schmidt) sets up HYDRA like this. It's not until his Nazi allies notice that Berlin is on his list of targets that they [[OhCrap realize]] he isn't exactly on their side.

A villain joins the Nazis during UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, impresses UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler enough to get his own squadron/unit, then uses these resources for his own gain. This villain often sees Hitler as just another obstacle to overcome later. This trope also works if you substitute Hitler/Nazis with any other historical dictator (UsefulNotes/JosephStalin, Kim Jong-Il, Pol Pot, etc.), but those examples are less prevalent.

* Rasputin in the ''Film/{{Hellboy}}'' film.

* ''Franchise/WonderWoman''
** While Hitler was at the time a current figure rather than a historical one every one of Wondy's early villains were allied with/working with him or other Axis powers, the stand out example being Paula von Gunther.
** ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': Tomas Byde / The Duke of Deception is here presented as a barely contained Nazi collaborator of immense power. Priscilla Rich / ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} is on the other hand a much more eager Nazi ally, with far more blood lust, power hunger and disregard for the sanctity of life than Byde.

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'': Tomas Byde / The Duke of Deception is here presented as a barely contained Nazi collaborator of immense power. Priscilla Rich / ComicBook/{{Cheetah}} is on the other hand a much more eager Nazi ally, with far more blood lust, power hunger and disregard for the sanctity of life than Byde.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al Ghul allied with the Nazis to further [[EcoTerrorist his goal]] of [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans wiping out 90% of the human race to stave off]] {{overpopulation|Crisis}}, including taking part in the Holocaust. One of the victims was his own daughter and her family — she survived, they did not; she was ''mightly'' upset with him.

* ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles4'' has a rare fantasy version of this. Heinrich Belgar is a MadScientist who works for [[TheEmpire the East Europan Imperial Alliance]], which is basically Soviet Russia with the warmongering tendencies of Nazi Germany. Belgar openly admits he only joined the Empire because they gave him unlimited funding and are allowing him free reign to do whatever experiments he wishes without any ethical restraints. He doesn't care about their larger goals and is dismissive of their Emperor. One almost gets the feeling that he would have gladly joined TheFederation if they were willing to be less restrictive ethically.

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S.S._Sturmbrigade_R.O.N.A SS Sturmbrigade RONA]] had been made up from rebellious Soviet people from the Lokot area after the German invasion of 1941 and led by the Russo-Pole [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronislav_Kaminski Bronislav Kaminski]]. Their cruelty, looting and total lack of military competency during the Warsaw Uprising enraged [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler the Führer]] enough to execute Kaminski and disband the unit.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al Ghul allied with the Nazis to further [[EcoTerrorist his goal]] of [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans wiping out 90% of the human race to stave off overpopulation]], so taking part in the Holocaust. One of the victims was his own daughter and her family — she survived, they did not; she was ''mightly'' upset with him.

* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': Ra's Al Ghul allied with the Nazis to further his goal of [[UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans wiping out 90% of the human race to stave off overpopulation]], so taking part in the Holocaust. One of the victims was his own daughter and her family -- she survived, they did not; she was ''mightly'' upset with him.

** Elsa meanwhile claims to have sided with the Nazis simply to get the Grail. Although as Indy bluntly chews her out on, she's already been corrupted into a Nazi.

* In ''[[Recap/DoctorWhoNewAdventuresTimewyrmExodus Timewyrm: Exodus]]'' the War Lords do this. This results in an alternate timeline where [[GodwinsLawOfTimeTravel the Nazis win the war.]]

* In the ''VideoGame/BloodRayne'' series, this applies the main villains: the first game was Jurgen Wulf, an Nazi scientist gathering the body parts of the original Devil to empower the Nazis with supernatural aid, while the second game's BigBad was the vampire EvilOverlord Kagan, whom thinks of Hitler as an idiot, but works with him to learn how to build an army. Kagan's EliteMooks even have PuttingOnTheReich uniforms in the present day.
* ''Franchise/AssassinsCreed'': Hitler was a Templar. Need any more proof that they're the bad guys? Also, taking RefugeInAudacity, this trope applies to the series' versions of Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill, who all colluded with Hitler to arrange the war.

->''"You are a fool. [[ThoseWackyNazis You]] think we're equals because I allow you to participate in this struggle. You fight to control nations -- we dominate entire worlds... we extend our will [[TimeMaster across time]]."''

* In ''VideoGame/BloodRayne 2'', this applies to BigBad vampire EvilOverlord Kagan. He thinks of Hitler as an idiot, but works with him to learn how to build an army. Kagan's EliteMooks even have PuttingOnTheReich uniforms in the present day.

* The ComicBook/RedSkull was personally trained by UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler and, having GoneHorriblyRight in that regard, made no secret to the Führer that he had ambitions of his own, but was willing to bide his time.
** Though interestingly, he actually respected and liked Hitler enough to never actually move against him. This was not the case in the movies, of course.

Compare/contrast with DragonWithAnAgenda; here you don't need to be TheDragon, and with this trope you get an instantly recognizable yardstick of evil for the villain to compare himself to and to rob of funds.