On April 30,1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in an underground bunker near the center of Berlin. His dream of a Thousand – Year Reich” lay in ruins. German cities had been bombed, German armies captured or destroyed. A week after Hitlers death, Germany offered unconditional surrender to Allied forces.
The nightmare of World War 2 in Europe came to an end. Hitler was the only man responsible for the horrors of World War 2. But it was his dream of world domination that possessed Germany. For twelve years he had the opportunity to make the world over in the image of his sick fantasies. He nearly Hitler was one of the most hated men in world history. But he cannot be dismissed as simply a monster who through the accidents of history reached great power. Hitler was a man whose prejudices and fears were shared by many other people. He gained their trust, even their adoration.
Millions, after all died fighting in his name. We must take Hitler seriously both as an individual and as an effective politician in order to understand how he gained so much power and how he abused that power. Only then will we be able to appreciate the profound evil of Hitler and Nazism.
Adlof Hitler was born April 20, 1889 to Alois and Klara Hitler and had a little sister Paula and half-brother Alois J.R. and half-sister Angela. Young Adolf was a good student in elementary. Energetic and smart, leader among children his own age. Loved warlike games. Had an outstanding gift as a speaker.
It was also discovered Adolf could draw which encouraged him to want to become an After returning to Vienna in February hoping to gain admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, but had been turned down and later turned down twice more after failing the entrance exam. He lived alone most of his life until Reihold Hanisch, noted his talent for drawing and suggested he produce postcards to be sold on taverns and on the street.
They sold well and Hanisch suggested Hitler produce water color pictures His mother died December 21, 1907 and he left Vienna later on in 1913 for he hated Jews and despised of his country because of the trade- unions, democratic rule, and mankind. So, he left Vienna and went to Munich to study art and architecture, while in the mean time becoming fascinated with politics as he continued When all hopes of Hitler becoming an artist were lost World War 1 had started when Archduke Franz Ferdinan was assassinatedon June 28 in Sarajevo.
After that Austria declared war on Serbia, Germany declared war on Hitler volunteered for the German army and was accepted. He saw action on the western front facing British, French, and Belgian troops. Hilter worked as a messenger. He had receives six medals for bravery including the Iron Cross Medal which is Germany’s highest military honor.
After Germany’s defeat in 1917. Hitler felt military had stabbed Germany in the back for giving up and not wanting to fight. On June 28, 1919, Versailles Treaty was signed which caused a break down of military and police organizations. A first attept at political democracy was made, but failed. On March 31, 1920, The Nationalist Socialist Party German Workers Party was formed. (Nazi) It’s symbol was the Swastika. Hitler then became a private citizen and wrote his book called Mein Kampf while in jail for a Putsch.
The Nazi Party was declared illegal so the National Socialist Freedom Movement was formed. When released from jail on December 20,1924, Germany resumed role as leader of European Culture. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany January 30, 1933. As a result Hitler wanted to control the world so he started conflicts and opening fire on countries. Starting with Czechoslovakia then Belgium, England and France. Hitler then wanted Poland, but in order to take Poland he had to make a Peace Treaty with Russia as he did in August of 1939.
In June of 1941 Hitler turned adn invaded the Soviet Union which went well as Germany had Being that Hitler disliked Jews he decided to attack any and every Jew in Europe to create a one race nation. The first large scale physical attack occured in November, 1938, after this attack Concentration or Death Camps were set up to rid Europe of Jews. Jews from France, Belgium, Holland, Croatia, Mindk, Norway, Greece, Vilna, and Rome were brought to the camps in Auchwitz by train.
Once at the camp Jews were separated, marched to the chambers where hundreds of people at a time could be poisoned to death. There the Jews were told there was work for them and they had to change clothes. Guards would then come and send them to a room After entering the door was screwed up and gas was discharged by waiting disinfectors through vents in the ceiling.
A revolt was made in protesting the camps. After the revolt Hitlers initial success in the Soviet Union he was unable to destroy the Red Army. Hitlers plans were too ambitious. He dispersed his forces, thinking he could besiege Leningrad in the north, attack Moscow, and at the same time, capture oil fields in the As the war dragged on and the scope of Germany’s defeat became evident, Hitler grew increasingly isolated and hard to work with then shot himself The author feels that Hitler’s career began in the years following World War 1 when Germany was forced to accept the Versailles Treaty. Hitler had served in the trences. He took Germany’s defeat as a personal insult-as did many veterans- and he vowed to reverse the wars outcome.
This was a formative experience for him and explains why he declared during the Second World War that Germay would not surrender, that there would not be another 1918. But as we’ve seen, Hitler’s ambitions went far beyond what might be considered the legitimate or at least the natural and altogether expected wishes of a resurgent German nationalism. He wanted not only to restore Germany as the dominant power in Europe but also to destroy European civilizatiokn and create a Nazi empire in the center of Only a madman could have dreamed these dreams.
Only a political genius could have mobilized public support for them. Only an original military thinker could have come as close as he did tdo making them all come true. In the end, however, Hitler was defeated, and the political and geographic changes in Europe which his war produced were the opposite of what he intended.
