Adolf Hitler

Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1989-0322-506, Adolf Hitler, Kinderbild retouched

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Hitler house in Leonding

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Adolf Hitler Der Alte Hof

Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1974-082-44, Adolf Hitler im Ersten Weltkrieg retouched

Hitler's DAP membership card

Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party), becoming Chancellor in 1933 and then assuming the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. During his dictatorship, Hitler initiated World War II in Europe by invading Poland in September 1939. He was closely involved in military operations throughout the war and was central to the perpetration of the Holocaust, the genocide of about six million Jews and millions of other victims.

Early Life

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on 20 April 1889. His father, Alois Hitler, was a customs official, and his mother, Klara Pölzl, was a homemaker. Hitler had a troubled childhood and struggled in school. After his father's death in 1903, he pursued his interest in art, but he was twice rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Rise to Power

After moving to Germany, Hitler served in the German Army during World War I. Disillusioned by Germany's defeat in 1918, he joined the German Workers' Party in 1919, which soon became the Nazi Party. With his oratorical skills and propaganda, he became the party's leader in 1921. After a failed coup attempt in 1923, known as the Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler was imprisoned. During his time in jail, he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle), outlining his political ideology and future plans for Germany.

Hitler's rise to power was rapid once the Great Depression hit Germany. Capitalizing on economic woes, political instability, and deep-seated fears of communism, Hitler and the Nazi Party gained significant electoral successes in the early 1930s. In January 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. Once in power, he established a totalitarian regime, eliminated political opposition, and consolidated his control.

World War II and the Holocaust

In 1939, Hitler's invasion of Poland led to the outbreak of World War II. Under his leadership, Germany quickly occupied much of Europe. However, the tide of the war turned with the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and the entry of the United States into the war. By 1945, Allied forces were closing in on Berlin.

Concurrently, Hitler's racial policies led to the systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others in the Holocaust. Concentration camps, such as Auschwitz, became symbols of the genocide.

Death

As the Allies surrounded Berlin, Hitler married his long-time partner Eva Braun and, on 30 April 1945, they both committed suicide in his bunker. Hitler's death marked the end of the Nazi regime and the beginning of the process of denazification of Germany.

Legacy

Hitler's legacy is indelibly associated with the horrors of the Holocaust, the devastation of World War II, and the extreme ideology of Nazism. His actions and policies are universally condemned and serve as a stark warning of the dangers of totalitarianism, racism, and militarism.