Basic Trope: The bad guys wear uniforms based on those worn by Nazi Germany's forces or some other "bad guy" group.
- Straight: In a war waged between the Dominion of Menacia and Troperian Alliance, Menacian troopers wear uniforms based on those worn by the Wehrmacht during World War II, or with suspiciously similar symbolics. Hitler salute and goosestep optional.
- Exaggerated:
- Everything about Menacians apes Nazi Germany.
- Menacian troopers wear exact replicas of SS uniforms, complete with swastika armbands.
- Menacian medics wear exact replicas of SS uniforms. It makes sense of course as they think Nazis were soft-hearted wusses.
- Downplayed:
- Menacian soldiers simply wear field-gray uniform, with an occasional squad of Elite Mooks dressed in black.
- Menacian troops wear Soviet-style uniforms.
- Justified:
- It's World War II, and the heroes are fighting actual German forces (thinly) disguised as those from another country.
- The villains know the connotations of their uniforms and dress that way to make their enemies afraid of them.
- The villains didn't know that the Nazis dressed this way and just thought it would look cool.
- It is a reenactment.
- Menacian army finds the Wehrmacht gear to be militarily useful.
- Menacian ruling caste consists primarily of Nazis who went underground after the war.
- This is an AU where the Nazis won World War Two or brought it to a stalemate on conditions favorable towards Germany, and the Third Reich eventually morphed into Menacia.
- In an inversion of Ancient Astronauts, the Nazis taught the Menacians how to do everything and then orchestrated a Fantasy Conflict Counterpart to have their revenge.
- Menacians found Lost Technology the Nazis invented, and used that as the basis of their society.
- Menacians admire the Nazis, either because they have similar beliefs or they have false beliefs about the past.
- Inverted:
- The Troperian Alliance bears similarities to the WWII Allies, like the USA, UK, and France.
- The heroes wear Wehrmacht or SS style uniforms; possibly to infiltrate their enemies' headquarters.
- The bad guys from Menacia were once part of the Third Reich, but now are a separate enemy force. They abandon their old uniforms for newer ones.
- The bad guys from Menacia intentionally model everything possible on the Allies of WWII — their uniforms, weapons, and vehicles are all painted in markings similar to American, British, Soviet, and/or French ones. Bonus points if their tanks look like Shermans. Extra points if outfits, arms and machinery of the heroic (well, at times anti-heroic) Troperians appear German-esque, that is, usually associated with the foe... except this time.
- Bad guys that actually are Nazis don't resemble them.
- It turns out the Nazis based their stuff off of the Menacians.
- Subverted:
- Despite what they look like in propaganda posters, Menacian troops wear generic military uniforms in the field...
- A group is introduced whose members wear uniforms based on those worn by the Wehrmacht during World War II. When they become important to the plot, it's as allies to the heroes.
- It's World War II, but for some reason(s) — Defecting From Decadence to name just one — (some) German soldiers are the good guys.
- It's World War II, and the characters are War Refugees wearing gear scavenged from dead German soldiers.
- Menacian army is dressed and equipped like the Bundeswehr.
- Double Subverted:
- ...but their dress uniforms practically scream Nazi Germany.
- Until they betray the heroes and ally themselves with the Menacians to further their own agenda.
- Said German soldiers are only told to be the good guys, and in reality are still with the Nazi forces. If it was portrayed as a defection, well, they're Fake Defectors.
- The characters are German War Refugees who have Nazi sympathies, and are trying to escape the Allied armies.
- Menacian soldiers still goose-step, do Nazi Salutes, and serve a totalitarian warmongering dictatorship.
- Parodied:
- Menacian uniforms include massive peaked caps, huge racks of medals, and breeches hanging down past knees.
- Civilians in Menacia wear Nazi-like clothing ("it's the latest style!") but the military's uniforms are generic.
- Old ladies in Menacia wear Nazi-like clothing! And they're every bit as brutal as the real deal!
- Babies in Menacia wear cute little SS uniforms designed just for them.
- Zig Zagged: The bad guys wear a variety of uniforms. Their dress outfits have German inspiration, but ones used daily and in the field also include American or Western European style styles.
- Averted: The bad guys' uniforms don't rip off the Nazis.
- Enforced:
- Executive Meddling assumes that Viewers Are Morons and won't understand who the bad guys are unless their uniforms ape the Nazis.
- By identifying the antagonists with Nazis, it's easy to tell the viewer/reader that they're the bad guys.
- Lampshaded: A recruit to the Menacian army asks: "Why are we dressing like we're about to invade Poland?"
- Invoked: Menacia is a successor state to Nazi Germany, so they go out of their way to call back to their roots.
- Exploited: Rival nations emphasize Menacia's uniforms' Nazi-esque qualities in propaganda.
- Defied: Menacia doesn't want to associate with the Nazis and does something different to differentiate themselves from their precursors.
- Discussed: "We have to fight an evil empire? Five bucks says they're all wearing uniforms that look like Nazi knock-offs."
- Conversed: "Have you ever noticed that all of the bad guys in TV look like Nazis?"
- Implied: The soldiers are said to wear Nazi-like uniforms, but are never seen.
- Deconstructed: Everyone can recognize the Menacians for what they truly are due to their fashion choice.
- Reconstructed: ...Which is exactly what Menacia was aiming for.
- Played For Laughs: Since Menacia's forces wear Nazi-like uniforms, it seems like they're really evil people... except they can't even shoot straight, and the heroes consider them a nuisance at best.
- It turns out Menaca is actually a humanitarian organization that was trying to inspire hope and compassion by invoking the uniforms of the organization that inspired them... because they somehow mixed up the Third Reich with The Red Cross.
- The Menacans are aliens from a democratic planet whose only prior exposure to human society was Nazi propaganda taken out of context. They show up wearing Nazi uniforms thinking they're just emulating human fashion trends, and get extremely confused when modern humans seem to "jump to the conclusion" that they're fascist conquerors.
- Played For Drama: The Mooks wear Nazi-like uniforms, and prove to be just as cruel as the historical ones.
Goosestep back to Putting on the Reich, Jawohl!
