Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler (20th April 1889 - 30th April 1945) was the leader of the Nazis and a chief instigator of World War II. As leader of the Nazi regime, he ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945.

Biography

Hitler joined the Nazi Party in 1919 and became its leader in 1921. During this time, the Timewyrm, looking for a way to hurt the Doctor by destroying the planet he loves, chose Hitler to use as a figurehead for her plan to manipulate human history. However, she did not expect his mind to be so powerful and became trapped in it. Hitler began subconsciously accessing the Timewyrm's vast psychic powers and using them to become an even more compelling speaker.

Also during this time, the War Lords discover Hitler's psychic abilities and decide to use him in their second attempt to conquer the universe. They set themselves up as the Black Coven and allied with him, while the War Chief, as Doctor Felix Kriegslieter, used psionic technology to boost Hitler's abilities even more.

On 9th November 1923, the Doctor and Ace witnessed Hitler leading the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch. The Doctor reset his dislocated shoulder and gave words of advice and encouragement to him, later explaining to the shocked Ace that it was necessary to ensure history would run its proper course. Hitler was later arrested and sent to prison, but was released the following year, and was eventually elected Chancellor in 1933. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus)

In 1936, King Edward VIII of Great Britain and Sir Oswald Mosley planned to establish a government which would be sympathetic to Hitler, but this plan was defeated by the Sixth Doctor. (PDA: Players)

In 1938, Hitler acquired the validium bow which was one of the components of Nemesis. (DW: Silver Nemesis)

In September 1939, during the German invasion of Poland, Hitler was reunited with the Doctor and Ace in Berlin and took him on as an advisor. In this capacity, the Doctor exposed the schemes of the Black Coven and Kreigsleiter, all of whom were killed in a conflict with German soldiers. The Doctor also inadvertently taught Hitler how to control the Timewyrm's power.

In May 1940, on the night of the Dunkirk evacuation, the Doctor and Ace visited Hitler for a third and final time. The Doctor banished the Timewyrm from Hitler's mind, scattering it throughout time and space. Unstable and disoriented without the entity's power, Hitler was convinced to allow the evacuation to proceed. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus)

In August 1942, the Sixth Doctor, investigating reports that Hitler may have survived his apparent death with the aid of alien technology, visited him in Berlin, accompanied by Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. Introducing himself as Major Johann Schmidt, an army doctor, he acquired blood samples from Hitler and Eva Braun. From these, he learned that, while Hitler had died, Eva had survived and been smuggled to safety while being pregnant with Hitler's child.

In August 1944, while planning a raid on Turelhampton to acquire alien technology, Hitler insisted that Major Schmidt be included as part of the team.

On 30th April 1945, near the end of the war, the Doctor, Lethbridge-Stewart, Claire Aldwych and Hitler's son visited Hitler in his bunker. Hitler's son had forced the Doctor to take him back in time to meet his father. Hitler dismissed his son as a madman and shot him. Shortly afterwards, he committed suicide rather than face defeat. (PDA: The Shadow in the Glass)

Alternate Timelines

In an alternate timeline in which Hitler did not lose the power of the Timewyrm, Germany went on to conquer England and the rest of Europe. The Doctor and Ace, after visiting this timeline in 1951, prevented it from coming to pass. (NA: Timewyrm: Exodus)

In an alternate timeline in which Nazi Germany won the Second World War (created when the Doctor and Ace accidently left laser technology in Colditz Castle in 1944); Hitler died in 1961. (BFA: Klein's Story)

References

When the Master claimed he wanted to rule people "for their own good", the Third Doctor wondered if he had heard Adolf Hitler say the same thing (implying that he had heard Hitler speak before). (DW: The Dæmons)
Millington maintained a copy of a Nazi office in the naval base at Maiden's Bay, including a portrait of Hitler. The Seventh Doctor considered Hitler to be "a dreadful man." (DW: The Curse of Fenric)
After the attack on the Dalek ship put London back under cover of blackout, an officer shook his fist towards the oncoming bombers and said "Do your worst, Adolf!" (DW: Victory of the Daleks)
Hitler's appointment as German Chancellor is noted as a key event by the Matrix while attempting to keep a clear record of the Web of Time during the outbreak of Anti-Time. (BFA: Neverland)
After the Germans took Paris, Hitler wanted his photo taken at the top of the Eiffel Tower. This was impossible however as the tower's keepers had scuppered the lifts and so he settled for a press conference in the monuments shadow instead. (EDA: History 101)

Behind the scenes

In Timewyrm: Exodus, the Doctor stated that he had never met Hitler before, even though he had done so in his sixth incarnation. One explanation is that the events of the conclusion of The Shadow in the Glass were something he would rather forget.
When asked what historical figure would make the best Doctor, Russell T Davies controversially, and not without tongue firmly in cheek, said: "Hitler. He was stern and strong. He would be great.".[1]
Michael Sheard has played Hitler several times