History Main / MonumentOfHumiliationAndDefeat

HumansAreBastards, and that's unanimous. Whenever we win we need to rub our victory to the loser and call him out. From the Crusades[[note]]turning mosques into churchs and vice-versa[[/note]] to the Nazis[[note]]Hitler made it a point to sign France's surrender on the same wagon the Germans did in WWI[[/note]], the Spanish[[note]]after the Civil War, Franco built a mausoleum for himself, an abbey and a graveyard with the labour work of the republican soldiers[[/note]] and the Aztecs[[note]]after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the conquerors built churches on top of the temples with the very same stones they were built[[/note]] and even the ''Olympic Games''[[note]]after the student protests of 1968, president Gustavo Díaz Ordaz opened up the Olympic Games in Mexico City in the stadium of the university many students came from[[/note]]; history is full of people who just ''had'' to do it. So you got a story where the BigBad [[TheBadGuyWins has won]]. His armies swarm the entire country and LaResistance is forced to retreat, flee or go into hiding. That's pretty bad, but the bad guy has yet one last thing to do: ensure his rule. So he makes something to honour his victory: he sends his people to make him a giant statue of Our Glorious Leader over the remains of the rebel base, [[{{Egopolis}} renames the former rebel city stronghold in his name]], sets a yearly military Victory Parade on V-Day, or all of them (and/or many many more). His purpose is both to exalt his ego and gloating to ensure no one dares question his authority by taking a former symbol of LaResistance and using it against them. If there are still members of LaResistance hiding around somewhere, the monuments serve to mock them and remind them of their defeat, lower their morale and prevent them to rise against the Leader one more time. Forcing the defeated enemies to KneelBeforeZod is often part of it as well. Usually invoked in {{Dystopia}}n worlds.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', after the Equalists take down The United Republic's government, Aang's statue is made to wear a giant version of Amon's mask.

HumansAreBastards, and that's unanimous. Whenever we win we need to rub our victory to the loser and call him out. From the Crusades[[note]]turning mosques into churchs and vice-versa[[/note]] to the Nazis[[note]]Hitler made it a point to sign France's surrender on the same wagon the Germans did in WWI[[/note]], the Spanish[[note]]after the Civil War, Franco built a mausoleum for himself, an abbey and a graveyard with the labour work of the republican soldiers[[/note]] and the Aztecs[[note]]after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the conquerors built churches on top of the temples with the very same stones they were built[[/note]] and even the ''Olympic Games''[[note]]after the student protests of 1968, president Gustavo Díaz Ordaz opened up the Olympic Games in Mexico City in the stadium of the university many students came from[[/note]]; history is full of people who just ''had'' to do it. So you got a story where the BigBad [[TheBadGuyWins has won]]. His armies swarm the entire country and LaResistance is forced to retreat, flee or go into hiding. That's pretty bad, but the bad guy has yet one last thing to do: ensure his rule. So he makes something to honour his victory: he sends his people to make him a giant statue of Our Glorious Leader over the remains of the rebel base, [[{{Egopolis}} renames the former rebel city stronghold in his name]], sets a yearly military Victory Parade on V-Day, or all of them (and/or many many more). His purpose is both to exalt his ego and gloating to ensure no one dares question his authority by taking a former symbol of LaResistance and using it against them. If there are still members of LaResistance hiding around somewhere, the monuments serve to mock them and remind them of their defeat, lower their morale and prevent them to rise against the Leader one more time. Usually invoked in {{Dystopia}}n worlds.

Compare to OurFounder. If the bad guy replaces the city's name for a mere number it's AirstripOne. See also HumilationConga, which is about the villain suffering from any such incident, to the joy of the audience and usually the hero. Subtrope of EvilGloating. Since RealLife has a ton of examples and these may outnumber the rest, Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease

Compare to OurFounder. If the bad guy replaces the city's name for a mere number it's AirstripOne. Subtrope of EvilGloating. Since RealLife has a ton of examples and these may outnumber the rest, Administrivia/NoRealLifeExamplesPlease

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', after the Equalists take down The United Republic's government, Aang's statue is made to wear a giant version of Amon's mask.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows''. After Voldemort takes over the Ministry of Magic through his puppet leader, he destroys the old fountain in the atrium (which depicted a witch, a wizard, a centaur, an elf and a gnome as a symbol of magical cooperation) and replaces it with a wizard and a witch sitting on thrones made of (or [[Bowlderization carried by]], in the movies) hundreds of suffering Muggles. The words "MAGIC IS MIGHT" are inscribed on it to make its claim clear that wizards are superior to non-magical creatures.

* ''Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows''. After Voldemort takes over the Ministry of Magic through his puppet leader, he destroys the old fountain in the atrium (which depicted a witch, a wizard, a centaur, an elf and a gnome as a symbol of magical cooperation) and replaces it with a wizard and a witch sitting on a (black in the books, white in the movies) throne being carried by hundreds of suffering Muggles. The words "MAGIC IS MIGHT" are inscribed on it to make its claim clear that wizards are superior to non-magical creatures.

* In ''WesternAnimatiom/TheLegendOfKorra'', after the Equalists take down The United Republic's government, Aang's statue is made to wear a giant version of Amon's mask.

* In season 4 of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Kings Landing is shown to have a statue showing King Joffrey shooting [[spoiler: a direwolf (House Stark's symbolic animal)]] full of arrows with a crossbow, symbolizing Lannister victory [[spoiler: over the Starks (as well as a reference to the circumstances of Robb Stark's death at the Red Wedding)]]. It's also a hilarious example of the kind of arrogant MilesGloriosus the boy-king is that he would be depicted personally, when he had little if anything to do with the [[spoiler:assassination.]]

Compare to OurFounder. If the bad guy replaces the city's name for a mere number it's AirstripOne. Subtrope of EvilGloating. Since RealLife has a ton of examples and these may outnumber the rest, NoRealLifeExamplesPlease

* In season 4 of ''Series/GameOfThrones'', Kings Landing is shown to have a statue showing King Joffrey shooting [[spoiler: the Stark direwolf (the House's symbol)]] full of arrows with a crossbow, symbolizing Lannister victory [[spoiler: over the Starks (as well as a reference to the circumstances of Robb Stark's death at the Red Wedding)]].

HumansAreBastards, and that's unanimous. Whenever we win we need to rub our victory to the loser and call him out. From the Crusades[[note]]turning mosques into churchs and vice-versa[[/note]] to the Nazis[[note]]Hitler made it a point to sign France's surrender on the same wagon the Germans did in WWI[[/note]], the Spanish[[note]]after the Civil War, Franco built a mausoleum for himself, an abbey and a graveyard with the labour work of the republican soldiers[[/note]] and the Aztecs[[note]]after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the conquerors built churches on top of the temples with the very same stones they were built[[/note]]; history is full of people who just ''had'' to do it. So you got a story where the BigBad [[TheBadGuyWins has won]]. His armies swarm the entire country and LaResistance is forced to retreat, flee or go into hiding. That's pretty bad, but the bad guy has yet one last thing to do: ensure his rule. So he makes something to honour his victory: he sends his people to make him a giant statue of Our Glorious Leader over the remains of the rebel base, [[{{Egopolis}} renames the former rebel city stronghold in his name]], sets a yearly military Victory Parade on V-Day, or all of them (and/or many many more). His purpose is both to exalt his ego and gloating to ensure no one dares question his authority by taking a former symbol of LaResistance and using it against them. If there are still members of LaResistance hiding around somewhere, the monuments serve to mock them and remind them of their defeat, lower their morale and prevent them to rise against the Leader one more time. Usually invoked in {{Dystopia}}n worlds.

HumansAreBastards, and that's unanimous. Whenever we win we need to rub our victory to the loser and call him out. From the Crusades[[note]]turning mosques into churchs and vice-versa[[/note]] to the Nazis[[note]]Hitler made it a point to sign France's surrender on the same wagon the Germans did in WWI[[/note]], the Spanish[[note]]after the Civil War, Franco built a mausoleum for himself, an abbey and a graveyard with the labour work of the republican soldiers[[/note]] and the Aztecs[[after the fall of Tenochtitlan, the conquerors built churches on top of the temples with the very same stones they were built[[/note]]; history is full of people who just ''had'' to do it. So you got a story where the BigBad [[TheBadGuyWins has won]]. His armies swarm the entire country and LaResistance is forced to retreat, flee or go into hiding. That's pretty bad, but the bad guy has yet one last thing to do: ensure his rule. So he makes something to honour his victory: he sends his people to make him a giant statue of Our Glorious Leader over the remains of the rebel base, [[{{Egopolis}} renames the former rebel city stronghold in his name]], sets a yearly military Victory Parade on V-Day, or all of them (and/or many many more). His purpose is both to exalt his ego and gloating to ensure no one dares question his authority by taking a former symbol of LaResistance and using it against them. If there are still members of LaResistance hiding around somewhere, the monuments serve to mock them and remind them of their defeat, lower their morale and prevent them to rise against the Leader one more time. Usually invoked in {{Dystopia}}n worlds.

The BigBad [[TheBadGuyWins has won]]. His armies swarm the entire country and LaResistance is forced to retreat, flee or go into hiding. That's pretty bad, but the bad guy has yet one last thing to do: ensure his rule. So he makes something to honour his victory: he sends his people to make him a giant statue of Our Glorious Leader over the remains of the rebel base, [[{{Egopolis}} renames the former rebel city stronghold in his name]], sets a yearly military Victory Parade on V-Day, or all of them (and/or many many more). His purpose is both to exalt his ego and gloating to ensure no one dares question his authority by taking a former symbol of LaResistance and using it against them. If there are still members of LaResistance hiding around somewhere, the monuments serve to mock them and remind them of their defeat, lower their morale and prevent them to rise against the Leader one more time. Usually invoked in {{Dystopia}}n worlds.

* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story "[[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E6TheArk The Ark]]", the Doctor and his companions visit a generation ship on its way to colonize a new planet, and are shown a massive statue the crew are building, which they calculate will be complete about the time they arrive at their new home. Later, the TARDIS takes them to visit the Ark again at the end of its journey, where they find that the humans have been enslaved by a race of humanoid aliens called the Monoids -- and the statue has been completed with a Monoid's head instead of a human's.

!Examples

** The crossroads on the road to Minas Morgul was originally guarded by the a statue of a former king. By the time Frodo and Sam pass that way, the statue's original head has been replaced with a rock painted as a grinning cyclops, presumably intended to represent Sauron.

* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' has the former great city of Minas Ithil (the Tower of the Moon), renamed Minas Morgul (the Tower of Black Magic) when orcs took over it. The Black presence was so strong the beautiful statues that adorned the bridges seemed like complete monsters and the flowers expelled a putrid fragrance. Even the city itself, which was described as white as the Moon, seemed as pale as a dead body. The city was made as a stronghold if Sauron's power returned to Mordor to hold him back, but when Gondor failed to protect the city, the Witch King of Angmar (Sauron's second in command) took over the throne of the city.

* In TheLegendOfKorra, after the Equalists take down The United Republic's government, Aang's statue is made to wear a giant version of Amon's mask.

* The StarWars ExpandedUniverse has ''Star Wars Infinities: A New Hope'' which depicts the Sith taking over the Republic and turning the Jedi Temple into Palpatine's residence.

[[AC:Film]]
* In both the HarryPotter movie and book, Voldemort destroys the old fountain of the Ministry of Magic (which depicted a witch, a wizard, a centaur, an elf and a gnome as a symbol of magical cooperation) and replaces it with a wizard and a witch sitting on a (black in the books, white in the movies) throne being carried my hundreds of legions of suffering muggles and the words "MAGIC IS MIGHT" inscribed to make clear that wizards are superior to non-magical creatures.

* TheLordOfTheRings has the former great city of Minas Ithil (the Tower of the Moon), renamed Minas Morgul (the Tower of Black Magic) when orcs took over it. The Black presence was so strong the beautiful statues that adorned the bridges seemed like complete monsters and the flowers expelled a putrid fragrance. Even the city itself, which was described as white as the Moon, seemed as pale as a dead body. The city was made as a stronghold if Sauron's power returned to Mordor to hold him back, but when Gondor failed to protect the city, the Witch King of Angmar (Sauron's second in command) took over the throne of the city.
* Technically, the titular [[TheHungerGames Hunger Games]] are an example. 74 years after the complete obliteration of a District that tried to play LaResistance to the Panem government, once a year, 24 kids are horrifically slaughtered in an InvoluntaryBattleToTheDeath to show everybody who's the boss. The one kid that survives is turned into a celebrity: obviously turning him into a living example of this.

* ''In TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime'', Ganon's Tower was built over the remains of the old castle.
* In ''AssassinsCreedRevelations'', Masyaf, the former Assassin stronghold and home to the first game's protagonist Altaïr, had decayed so much that Templars, the Assassins' sworn enemies, took over what was once the main headquarters of the most important branch of the brotherhood.
* The LordOfTheRings Online game has Mordirith, who became known as the False King, Steward of Angmar. In a twisted mockery of the Stewards who replaced him, Mordirith ruled in Carn Dûm on the behalf of the Witch-king, suppressing any form of rebellion from the few Men that had not allied with Angmar.