Adolf Hitler
Who was Adolf Hitler?
Austrian-born dictator who led Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945 and orchestrated the Holocaust, resulting in the systematic murder of six million Jews and millions of others.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Adolf Hitler (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, and became the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. He moved to Germany in 1913, served in the German Army during World War I, and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class in 1914 and a Wound Badge in 1918. After Germany's defeat, he joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919, which later became the Nazi Party. He took over as leader in 1921 and, after an unsuccessful attempt to seize power in 1923's Munich Beer Hall Putsch, was imprisoned. During this time, he dictated the first volume of Mein Kampf to Rudolf Hess. Once released in 1924, Hitler worked on rebuilding the Nazi Party and gained political support through his persuasive speeches, promoting extreme nationalism, antisemitism, and anti-communism. The party's success in elections led to his appointment as Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933 by President Paul von Hindenburg. Hitler wasted no time dismantling democratic structures to form a dictatorship. In 1934, after Hindenburg's death, he assumed the title Führer und Reichskanzler, solidifying his absolute control. His aggressive foreign policy led to Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, triggering World War II. Throughout the war, Hitler led German military operations and was the main planner of the Holocaust, the systematic genocide of about six million Jews and millions of others, including Roma, disabled individuals, political prisoners, and others deemed undesirable by the Nazis. As Allied forces closed in on Berlin in April 1945, Hitler married his long-time partner Eva Braun and committed suicide in his bunker on 30 April 1945, marking the end of Nazi Germany.
Before Fame
Hitler's early life was marked by a rocky relationship with his strict father and dreams of becoming an artist. He went to Lambach Abbey and later Bundesrealgymnasium Linz Fadingerstraße but wasn't a standout student. After his father died in 1903 and his mother passed away in 1907, he moved to Vienna, hoping to get into the Academy of Fine Arts, but was rejected twice. Living in poverty, he developed his antisemitic views while also soaking up the pan-German nationalism common in Austria-Hungary. Moving to Munich in 1913 and serving in World War I gave him a sense of purpose and belonging that he had been missing.
Key Achievements
- Rose from obscurity to become leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany
- Established a totalitarian dictatorship that controlled all aspects of German society
- Authored Mein Kampf, which became the ideological foundation of the Nazi movement
- Led Germany's initial military successes in World War II, conquering much of Europe
- Orchestrated the Holocaust and systematic persecution of minorities
Did You Know?
- 01.He was named Time Person of the Year in 1938, before the full extent of his crimes became widely known
- 02.During World War I, he served as a messenger, one of the most dangerous jobs, and was temporarily blinded by a British gas attack in 1918
- 03.He was made an honorary citizen of several German towns including Sankt Andreasberg, Goslar, and Trier in 1933
- 04.He received the Collar of the Imperial Order of the Red Arrows from Bulgaria in 1937
- 05.He dictated most of Mein Kampf to Rudolf Hess while imprisoned in Landsberg Prison, originally intending it to be titled 'Four and a Half Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice'
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Cross 2nd Class | 1914 | — |
| Wound Badge (1918) in Black | 1918 | — |
| honorary citizen of Sankt Andreasberg | 1933 | — |
| honorary citizen of Goslar | — | — |
| Collar of the Imperial Order of the Red Arrows | 1937 | — |
| Golden Party Badge | — | — |
| Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 | — | — |
| Blood Order | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Trier | 1933 | — |
| Time Person of the Year | 1938 | — |
| Military Merit Order (Bavaria) | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Coburg | 1932 | — |
| honorary citizenship | 1934 | — |
| honorary citizenship | 1934 | — |
| Iron Cross 1st Class | 1918 | — |
| Iron Cross | — | — |
| Imperial Order of the Yoke and Arrows | — | — |
| honorary citizen of Gdańsk | 1939 | — |
| Golden Hitler Youth Badge with Oakleaves | — | — |
| Wound Badge of 20 July 1944 in Black | 1944 | — |