The symbol of Nazis on Earth and Ekos, the swastika
The term Nazi is an abbreviation of the name Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party), a fascist party in Germany, on Earth, in the early part of the 20th century. The party became a tool for governmental domination by power-mad dictator Adolf Hitler. The Nazis of Germany, part of the Axis Powers, were a feared symbol of power in the 1930s and 1940s, and were principal participants in the massive worldwide conflict which came to be known as World War II. They set a model for dictatorship, hatred and fascism that has rarely been matched in their thirst for conquest, and their oppression, brutality and intolerance towards their fellow man, as evidenced by their persecution and systematic extermination of elements they deemed inferior in their own society.
World War II and the Guardian of Forever
The struggle against the Axis forces was a severe one, barely won by the Allied Powers. This is evidenced by the case of Edith Keeler, an American pacifist during the Depression era, determined to keep her country from wasting its resources on petty wars. She was a social worker and activist, but was unfortunately killed in a traffic mishap in 1930.
An alternate timeline was created when a time-traveler from the future, Leonard McCoy, saved her from death. In the new timeline, Keeler continued her message of peace, but 'at the wrong time' (in the words of Spock, who researched her histories).
In the altered reality, Edith eventually met with President Roosevelt, effectively organizing pacifist movements to ensure that the United States did not join the Allied Powers and contribute to the escalation of war. Without the US's help fighting them, Germany completed its heavy-water experiments, created an atomic bomb first in the new history, and used their V-2 rockets to launch them, effectively capturing the world. This timeline was averted when McCoy was followed through the Guardian of Forever time-portal, by Kirk and Spock, who prevented him from interfering in her death, restoring the 'correct' version of history. (TOS:"The City on the Edge of Forever").
Ekos and Zeon
Even after the war and the abolishment of Nazis and their propaganda, groups of neo-Nazis would occasionally grow up from insular populaces. One latter-day neo-Nazi organization was started, as a twisted social experiment, by human scientist John Gill on the planet Ekos. The Ekosians embraced Gill's rhetoric, eventually turning their hatred towards their nearest planetary neighbors, the spacefaring Zeons.
As a cultural observer sent undercover and alone to the planet Ekos, Gill inadvertantly showed just how powerful and dangerous the Nazi message could be, centuries after the fall of Hitler's Reich. In flagrant violation of the Prime Directive, Gill interfered with the planet's society in an effort to produce a more benign version of the original to emulate its efficiency. However, a subordinate Melakon subtly seized power by chemically incapaciting Gill and manipulated the populace into the same brutal racial supremist policies of the original. Zeons were expelled from the Ekosian planet, or worse, rounded up into camps, just as had been done to the Jews on Earth. Even Gill was not immune, as his own Nazi party he designed used him as a puppet, drugged and helpless, to hide their ownership of the true dictatorial power. A landing party from the Federation starship Enterprise attempted to rectify the damage to that planets society, removing Gill from power (he was eventually killed by Melakon when he denounced the usurper), and allowing a resistance effort to co-opt power from the decapitated Nazis.
This is often quoted as a textbook example of the importance of the Prime Directive of non-interference, the dangers of technologically superior beings manipulating younger societies. (TOS:"Patterns of Force").
The Temporal Cold War
Adolf Hitler coming ashore in the conquered USA.
In another alternate timeline created as part of the Temporal Cold War, the Na'kuhl faction assisted the Third Reich during World War II.
This timeline diverged from standard history when Vladimir Lenin was assassinated in 1916, forestalling the Russian Revolution. This enabled Hitler to concentrate his forces on the Western front. Germany conquered all of Europe, and then made an incursion into the Eastern United States, occupying Washington, DC and New York City. All these conquests were aided by Na'kuhl technology. In 1944, Hitler made a state visit to a Nazi-occupied New York.
This timeline was prevented when the starship Enterprise, having been displaced by temporal agent Daniels, destroyed a temporal conduit operated by Vosk. (ENT: "Zero Hour", Storm Front and Part II)
Further Appearances
- VOY: "The Killing Game, Part I" and Part II
External links
- Nazism at Wikipedia