Changes: Adolf Hitler

Revision as of 23:22, 16 October 2017

"The guy is like a hypnotist – a madman who can make a whole country nuts."

Adolf Hitler (also known as the "Führer") was a German politician who became Chancellor of Germany and subsequently the leader of the Nazi Germany, ruling from 1933 to 1945. As dictator of the German Reich, Hitler's attempts at global expansion led to the Second World War with the invasion of Poland.

Hitler was described by Colonel Musgrove as being "obsessed with the occult," hence his initiating a worldwide search for artifacts that included the Ark of the Covenant in 1936 and the Holy Grail in 1938. For these goals, Hitler sent his fiercest men, like Herman Dietrich or Ernst Vogel, and hired several people, like René Emile Belloq or Walter Donovan, in order to find them, but his attempts ended in failure.

Biography

"The Ark belongs in the Reich. Something of such antiquity belongs in Germany."

―Adolf Hitler^[src]

For four years, Corporal Adolf Hitler was courier during World War I. In 1923, Hitler and his fellow Nazis attempted to overthrow the German Weimar government. The Beer Hall Putsch failed and Hitler served nine months in prison for treason. While in prison, Hitler gained recognition through the publication of his autobiographical work Mein Kampf, which also expounded on his views of National Socialist ideology and Aryan racial superiority. His views attracted many other Germans who had felt betrayed by the weakening of Germany in the Treaty of Versailles.

In 1929, the Wayua leader Maleiwa sought to entice Hitler into an alliance over the power of the alicorn, planning to later betray him in place of his own ambitions of global supremacy. Maleiwa, however, was stopped by Indiana Jones, before a meeting could take place.

The 1930s saw the National Socialist German Workers' Party gain political power, and Hitler became Reich Chancellor of Germany. He worked to remove many of the democratic institutions in Germany, proclaiming himself "Führer" after President Paul von Hindenburg died, and sought to rebuild the German industrial and military base, and began programs to harass and eliminate those who he felt were contaminating German society: Jews, Gypsies, communists, homosexuals and political dissidents.

His interest in the occult and in archaeological artifacts prompted Nazi research and recovery expeditions into artifacts to either support his views of Aryan racial superiority or to be used as weapons against Nazi enemies.

Hitler met with archaeologist René Emile Belloq in 1936 to hire his services in acquiring the lost Ark of the Covenant.^[1] After Indiana Jones thwarted Hitler's plans on numerous occasions, including his desire to claim the Ark, the Führer personally assigned Hans Degen to assassinate Jones but the attempt also ended in failure.^[2]

Hitler Indiana Jones — Hitler signs for Jones.

In 1938, Hitler was presiding over a bookburning rally in Berlin outside the Institute of Aryan Culture. As he was being escorted from the forum, he came face to face with a man in a Nazi officer's uniform who held a book in his hands. Not knowing the man was a disguised Indiana Jones or that the book was the Grail diary his agents needed to use to find the Holy Grail, Hitler took the book, motioned one of his aides for a pencil, signed the book, and returned it to the startled 'officer' before continuing on his way.^[3]

Seeking to expand Germany, he first used diplomatic means to gain territories in building a greater German state, then invaded Poland in 1939, initiating World War II. In 1945, Hitler appeared in Professor Jones' vision where he claimed ownership for the Spear of Destiny.^[4] Later that year, with the defeat of Germany likely, and Berlin near invasion, he committed suicide.

Behind the scenes

Adolf Hitler was portrayed by the late and uncredited Michael Sheard in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Sheard had previously played Oskar Schomburg in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Sheard previously appeared in George Lucas' Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (as Admiral Ozzel) with Harrison Ford and Julian Glover. Coincidentally, Last Crusade is set in 1938, the same year in which Sheard was born.

During the development of the film's script, written by Jeffrey Boam, Indiana Jones was originally not to have a face to face encounter with Hitler, viewing him instead from afar. He would also put Elsa Schneider inside Hitler's car trunk so that she would not raise the alarm.^[5]

Sheard wasn't unfamiliar to play Nazis. In addition to have played Oskar Schomburg in Raiders He had already played Adolf Hitler several times - in the TV movie Rogue Male (1976); in a two-part episode of the TV series The Tomorrow People (1978), entitled "Hitler’s Last Secret"; and in the TV movie The Dirty Dozen: The Next Mission (1985) - and would go on to play him one more time, in the documentary Hitler of the Andes (2003). He also played Heinrich Himmler (who was portrayed by his late friend Ronald Lacey in Last Crusade) three times in his career.

Contrary to popular thought, the real Hitler was never a huge fan of the occult. Another possible anachronism is that it's said by some that Hitler was left-handed but he can be seen signing Henry Walton Jones, Senior's Grail Diary with his right hand. However, evidence has shown with the real Hitler signing, writing and even bowling with his right hand.

Jager — Matthias Jäger from *Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix*.

LucasArts had planned to resurrect Hitler for the plot of Indiana Jones and the Iron Phoenix, their intended follow-up to the popular Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis video game, but the game was cancelled. In Iron Phoenix story, former Nazi scientist Doctor Matthias Jäger revives Hitler with the Philosopher's Stone two years after World War II. However, the Führer returns from the grave malformed and kills Jäger for bringing him back with no military to fight with. Indiana Jones later tricks Hitler into destroying himself with the Philosopher's Stone. Dark Horse Comics adpated its story as a comic series but Hitler does not appear although he is mentioned. Instead, a disfigured Jäger bears a strong resemblance to him and receives Hitler's fate from the game.

During the development of the fourth Indy film, Frank Darabont's script, then Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods, included an appearance by Hitler as part of an alien vision to German doctor Von Grauen who seeks the return of the "glory" created by the Nazis. Hitler's form grants Von Grauen's wish by draining his life away. Although Hitler didn't appear in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, he is briefly visible in one the teaser trailers for the film as some footage of the Berlin bookburning rally scene from Last Crusade was included.