Star Trek has a long and well-regarded tradition of using science fiction environments to critique and comment on elements of real-world history. Starfleet employees frequently step into futuristic versions of Ancient Rome, the Wild West, or even 1920s Chicago through one narrative convention or another. Most examples barely stand out. It's fun to put the sci-fi lens on alternative history or imagine how things might change given the presence of hindsight. Unfortunately, some images from the past carry more weight than others. Star Trek ran afoul of that reality in "Patterns of Force," an episode largely about the Nazis.