Adolf Hitler
Jessica McBirney
Adolf Hitler is maybe the most infamous person in history. As the leader of Germany before and during World War II, he promoted racist ideas and ordered the murder of millions of ethnic minorities, especially Jews. He rose to power during a time of crisis in Germany, and his cruel, violent legacy is often seen as a warning to the rest of the world of what can happen when someone is too obsessed with national pride and racial superiority.
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Austria-Hungary and moved to Germany when he was three. He had a very tense relationship with his father because they were both stubborn and strong-willed.
After high school, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he worked odd jobs and lived in homeless shelters. He applied to art school for painting twice but was rejected both times; however, he was able to sell watercolor paintings of famous Vienna sights. At the time, Vienna was full of religious prejudice and racism, which Hitler came to agree with.
Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, and enlisted in the German army when World War I started in 1914. He worked mainly in administrative roles, but he did get wounded in 1917 and was awarded for his bravery.
He remembered the war as "the greatest of all experiences," and it strengthened his German patriotism. After the war, the leaders from many countries came together in France, to see how they could prevent future wars from happening. The treaty that they finally came up with blamed Germany for almost everything that happened and placed it under heavy economic burdens as punishment; Hitler thought all of this was completely unfair.
Hitler remained in the army, where he was assigned to monitor the activities of a new political party, the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). However, he was intrigued by the party's nationalist and anti-Semitic views. He became a member of the NSDAP after only a few months and started working for the party full time in 1920.
His political speeches in beer halls around Munich were powerful and stirring for his large audiences. He captured the crowds' spirit, blaming minority groups for economic troubles and the loss of the war. He used mob psychology to whip the audience into a frenzy of patriotism.
In 1923, Hitler was arrested for attempting a political coup with the NSDAP. While he was in jail for a year, he wrote his famous book Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"), which outlined his radical political beliefs and his hopes for Germany's future as a unified, single-race nation.
After he was released from jail he worked to restore the NSDAP as a strong political party. The NSDAP, or Nazi party, enjoyed a broad base of support for its message. Hitler narrowly lost a run for German president in 1932, but the loss worked in his favor. It meant he was available when he was appointed Chancellor in 1933.
As Chancellor, Hitler used unethical and sometimes violent tactics to gain support within the government and increase his own power. For example, he made a decree that gave himself the power to make any law without the consent of the German congress. Other political parties quickly fell apart. He was now, by default, a dictator.
Hitler admired powerful, nationalistic governments like Japan and Italy, and he made military alliances with both countries in the late 1930s. His vision was to restore Germany to greater economic and military power, to make Germany the most powerful nation in the world. He thought white, blond Germans ("Aryans") were genetically superior to anyone else, and so the best way for Aryans to gain their rightful power was to kill anyone who looked different or who thought differently. He especially hated Jews.
Once he had rebuilt Germany's army, Hitler decided it was time to take back the land and power that had been "stolen" from Germany after World War I. His invasion of several former German territories led to the start of World War II. European countries such as England, France, and the Soviet Union did not want such a cruel dictator gaining so much power, so they fought back against Hitler and his allies, Italy and Japan. At first, Hitler was an extremely successful military leader. Germany's territory expanded quickly.
However, Hitler is even more infamous for what he did on the "home front" during the war. Since he hated minorities, especially Jews, and saw them as the enemy to Germany's expansion, he sent troops out all over the territory to kidnap Jews, Slavs, and other "undesirable" people. They were brought to "concentration camps," where it was easy for the German army to kill hundreds at a time. Hitler's treatment of his own citizen prisoners included some of the most horrible human rights violations in history. During the Holocaust, as it came to be known, Hitler ordered the death of 6 million Jews; it was one of the deadliest genocides in history.
In 1942, the German army started to experience defeat. The United States brought immense power against Germany when it entered the war in 1941. Hitler also made several important tactical mistakes. Soon his army was spread too thin and running out of supplies. By 1945, the German capital Berlin was surrounded by enemy troops, and total defeat was certain. Hitler died in an underground bunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945. Reports suggest he took his own life. Two days later Germany surrendered, losing the war.
Adolf Hitler was one of the worst dictators in history. His unstoppable hunger for personal and national power led to the destruction of huge parts of Europe during World War II. More civilians were killed in World War II than in any other war. His intense racism and ability to win the love of large crowds led to the horrific deaths of millions of Jews and ethnic minorities.
Today we can see the evil deeds Hitler committed as warnings for our own beliefs and political leaders - Hitler has shown what can happen when we obsess about our own power and blame others for the problems we face.
Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Austria-Hungary and moved to Germany when he was three. He had a very tense relationship with his father because they were both stubborn and strong-willed.
After high school, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he worked odd jobs and lived in homeless shelters. He applied to art school for painting twice but was rejected both times; however, he was able to sell watercolor paintings of famous Vienna sights. At the time, Vienna was full of religious prejudice and racism, which Hitler came to agree with.
Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, and enlisted in the German army when World War I started in 1914. He worked mainly in administrative roles, but he did get wounded in 1917 and was awarded for his bravery.
He remembered the war as "the greatest of all experiences," and it strengthened his German patriotism. After the war, the leaders from many countries came together in France, to see how they could prevent future wars from happening. The treaty that they finally came up with blamed Germany for almost everything that happened and placed it under heavy economic burdens as punishment; Hitler thought all of this was completely unfair.
Hitler remained in the army, where he was assigned to monitor the activities of a new political party, the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). However, he was intrigued by the party's nationalist and anti-Semitic views. He became a member of the NSDAP after only a few months and started working for the party full time in 1920.
His political speeches in beer halls around Munich were powerful and stirring for his large audiences. He captured the crowds' spirit, blaming minority groups for economic troubles and the loss of the war. He used mob psychology to whip the audience into a frenzy of patriotism.
In 1923, Hitler was arrested for attempting a political coup with the NSDAP. While he was in jail for a year, he wrote his famous book Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"), which outlined his radical political beliefs and his hopes for Germany's future as a unified, single-race nation.
After he was released from jail he worked to restore the NSDAP as a strong political party. The NSDAP, or Nazi party, enjoyed a broad base of support for its message. Hitler narrowly lost a run for German president in 1932, but the loss worked in his favor. It meant he was available when he was appointed Chancellor in 1933.
As Chancellor, Hitler used unethical and sometimes violent tactics to gain support within the government and increase his own power. For example, he made a decree that gave himself the power to make any law without the consent of the German congress. Other political parties quickly fell apart. He was now, by default, a dictator.
Hitler admired powerful, nationalistic governments like Japan and Italy, and he made military alliances with both countries in the late 1930s. His vision was to restore Germany to greater economic and military power, to make Germany the most powerful nation in the world. He thought white, blond Germans ("Aryans") were genetically superior to anyone else, and so the best way for Aryans to gain their rightful power was to kill anyone who looked different or who thought differently. He especially hated Jews.
Once he had rebuilt Germany's army, Hitler decided it was time to take back the land and power that had been "stolen" from Germany after World War I. His invasion of several former German territories led to the start of World War II. European countries such as England, France, and the Soviet Union did not want such a cruel dictator gaining so much power, so they fought back against Hitler and his allies, Italy and Japan. At first, Hitler was an extremely successful military leader. Germany's territory expanded quickly.
However, Hitler is even more infamous for what he did on the "home front" during the war. Since he hated minorities, especially Jews, and saw them as the enemy to Germany's expansion, he sent troops out all over the territory to kidnap Jews, Slavs, and other "undesirable" people. They were brought to "concentration camps," where it was easy for the German army to kill hundreds at a time. Hitler's treatment of his own citizen prisoners included some of the most horrible human rights violations in history. During the Holocaust, as it came to be known, Hitler ordered the death of 6 million Jews; it was one of the deadliest genocides in history.
In 1942, the German army started to experience defeat. The United States brought immense power against Germany when it entered the war in 1941. Hitler also made several important tactical mistakes. Soon his army was spread too thin and running out of supplies. By 1945, the German capital Berlin was surrounded by enemy troops, and total defeat was certain. Hitler died in an underground bunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945. Reports suggest he took his own life. Two days later Germany surrendered, losing the war.
Adolf Hitler was one of the worst dictators in history. His unstoppable hunger for personal and national power led to the destruction of huge parts of Europe during World War II. More civilians were killed in World War II than in any other war. His intense racism and ability to win the love of large crowds led to the horrific deaths of millions of Jews and ethnic minorities.
Today we can see the evil deeds Hitler committed as warnings for our own beliefs and political leaders - Hitler has shown what can happen when we obsess about our own power and blame others for the problems we face.