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 succeeded.
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. Adolf Hitler: The Man Behind the Mask! 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 artist.
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 which could be sold for more money. 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 to
struggle as an artist. 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
Russia and France. 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 scored another victory. 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 outfitted with showerheads. 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
Caucasus. 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 April 30, 1945. 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 Europe. 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.