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Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Born	April 20th, 1889
Died	April 30th, 1945; Fuhrer-Bunker
Cause of death	Suicide
Citizenship	Austro-Hungarian Empire, Weimar Republic, Nazi Germany
Occupation	Dictator of Nazi Germany1
Years active	1933-1945
Notable work	Mass Murder of Minorites and political enemies
Predecessor	President Von Hindenburg
Successor	Karl Dönitz
Political party	Nazi Party
Movement	Nazist Movements In Weimar Republic ( Germany )
Opponent(s)	Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Von Hindenburg (Election), Franklin D. Roosevelt
Criminal charges	Mass Murder (1940s), Genocide (1940s), Violation of Human Rights (1940s), Terrorism (1923)
Spouse	Eva Braun
Parents	Alois Hitler Sr. (father); Klara Hitler (mother);
Family	Hitler
Call sign	Fuhrer
Awards	Iron Cross Second Class (1914) Bavarian Cross of Military Merit, Third Class with Swords (1917) Iron Cross, First Class (1918) the Wound Badge in Black (1918) Regimental Diploma (1918)

Overview

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, Austria. Hitler led a rather *odd* life, failing art school twice, becoming a politician, and later becoming chancellor of Nazi Germany in 1933. He started a war that will be forever known as the deadliest war in the history of the world, about 74 million casualties, 40 million estimated to be civilians and non-combatants. Germany spent 270 billion dollars during WWII.

World War I (1914-1918)

Adolf Hitler enlisted in the Bavarian Army in August of 1914. This was shortly after the outbreak of World War I. Despite being an Austrian citizen at the time, he volunteered for service in the Bavarian army. He was stationed in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment, and initially served as an infantryman before being assigned to a dispatch runner role. He worked mainly as a message runner (courier) on the Western Front. This job involved delivering messages between command posts—often dangerous due to exposure to enemy fire. Here's a long list of the history of what he did and what he participated in:

July 28, 1914	Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia.
August 1, 1914	Germany declares War on Russia.
August 3, 1914	Germany declares war on France.
August 4, 1914	Britain declares war on Germany.
August 6, 1914	Austria declares war on Russia.

Here are some battles he participated in aswell:

First Battle of Ypres (1914): His regiment suffered heavy losses; Hitler was one of the few survivors.
Battle of the Somme (1916): A brutal and costly battle; he was wounded in the left thigh by a shell explosion.
Battle of Arras and Passchendaele (1917): Continued to serve on the Western Front.
October 1918: Temporarily blinded by a British gas attack (mustard gas) near Ypres.

His Medals are going to be listed aswell:

Military Honors

Hitler received several medals for bravery:
- Iron Cross, Second Class (1914)
- Iron Cross, First Class (1918) – rare for someone of his low rank (Corporal).
- Black Wound Badge – for being wounded in action.

Rank

He remained a Corporal (Gefreiter) throughout the war. He was never promoted beyond this rank, likely due to a lack of leadership skills and possibly because he was viewed as socially awkward.

Defeat

Hitler was deeply affected by Germany’s defeat in 1918. Like many, he believed the German military had been "stabbed in the back" by politicians and leftists on the home front—a myth he embraced passionately.

His hatred for Jews, communists, and the Weimar Republic grew during this time and shaped his political ideology after the war.

The Entente Powers enforced serious Consequences to Germany after World war I, they demilitarized the Rhineland, which Germany used to invade the lowlands/Benelux. the Entente Powers reformed the Germany into the Weimar Republic, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved into 12 other nations, and the new Weimar Republic was forced to pay money they didn't have, so they decided to print more money, unknowingly causing mass inflation.

1919-1929

June 1919: The Treaty of Versailles is signed, humiliating Germany and fueling resentment among nationalists like Hitler.
September 1919: Hitler, a discharged soldier from WWI, is sent by the German army to spy on a small nationalist group, the German Workers’ Party (DAP).

He finds he agrees with their anti-Semitic, anti-Marxist, and nationalist views and soon joins the party.
- Hitler becomes the party's chief propagandist.
- February 1920: The party releases its 25-point program, calling for:
  - Abolition of the Treaty of Versailles
  - Exclusion of Jews from German citizenship
  - Nationalization of industries
- The DAP changes its name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) — the Nazi Party.
  - Hitler’s oratory skills attract growing crowds.
  - July 1921: He forces a leadership showdown, becomes Führer (leader) of the Nazi Party, and builds a personal paramilitary unit, the SA (Stormtroopers), to protect Nazi meetings and attack political opponents.
    - Inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome, Hitler attempts a coup in Munich on November 8–9, 1923.
    - The Beer Hall Putsch fails. Police open fire, several Nazis are killed.
    - Hitler is arrested and put on trial for treason.
      - February 1924: Hitler is sentenced to 5 years in Landsberg Prison, though he serves only 9 months.
      - While imprisoned, he writes Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”), laying out his vision for Germany:
        Racial hierarchy with “Aryans” at the top
        
        Anti-Semitism
        
        Anti-communism
        
        Lebensraum (“living space”) for Germans in the East
        After prison, Hitler is temporarily banned from public speaking, so he reorganizes the Nazi Party structure.
        
        Forms SS (Schutzstaffel), an elite guard unit that would later grow into a major force under Heinrich Himmler.
        
        Focuses on gaining power legally through elections rather than revolt.
        
        The Nazi Party is re-founded in February 1925.
        Nazis remain a fringe party in the mid-1920s.
        
        In the 1928 Reichstag elections, they win only 2.6% of the vote (12 seats).
        
        However, Hitler continues organizing propaganda, building a youth wing, and strengthening party discipline.
        October 1929: The Great Depression begins with the U.S. stock market crash.
        
        Germany is heavily dependent on American loans. The economy collapses.
        
        Massive unemployment and social unrest create an opening for radical parties, including the Nazis.

1930-1932

Between 1930 and 1932, Adolf Hitler transitioned from being the leader of a radical political party to becoming a central figure in German politics. This period is crucial in understanding how he gained the legitimacy and power that eventually led to his appointment as Chancellor in 1933.

In the late 1920s, the Nazi Party (National Socialist German Workers' Party) was still relatively small.

But the Great Depression, which hit Germany hard starting in 1929, created deep economic hardship: mass unemployment, business failures, and growing poverty. This made extremist parties more appealing. September 1930: The Nazis made a massive electoral gain.
- In the 1928 election, they had only 12 seats.
- In 1930, they won 107 seats, making them the second-largest party in the Reichstag.
  - Hitler's speeches focused on:
    - Anti-communism
    - Nationalism and the need to restore German pride
    - Anti-Versailles Treaty rhetoric
    - Scapegoating Jews and Marxists
  - He traveled around Germany extensively, using modern propaganda techniques and mass rallies.
    - Wealthy industrialists, army officers, and conservative politicians began to see Hitler as a useful ally.
    - They thought he could help suppress communism and stabilize Germany—under their control.
    - 1932 Election:
      - Hitler ran for President against Paul von Hindenburg.
        First round (March): Hindenburg ~49%, Hitler ~30%
        
        Second round (April): Hindenburg ~53%, Hitler ~36.8%
      - Hitler lost, but the result showed how massively his support had grown.
      - July 1932
        The Nazis became the largest party with 230 seats (37% of the vote).
        
        Hitler demanded the chancellorship, but Hindenburg refused, distrusting him.
        
        1932 Instability:
        From 1930 to 1932, Germany had no strong majority in the Reichstag.
        
        The government relied increasingly on Presidential Decrees (Article 48), bypassing parliament.
        
        Chancellors like Brüning, von Papen, and later Schleicher all struggled to govern.
        
        November 1932 Election:
        Nazi vote declined slightly to 196 seats, but they remained the largest party.
        
        Many began to believe Hitler's rise had peaked—but he still had enormous political leverage.
        
        1930-1932 Summary

Year	Key Event	Impact

1930	Nazis win 107 seats	Nazi Party becomes major political force

1932 (April)	Loses presidential race to Hindenburg	Gains national profile

1932 (July)	Nazis win 230 seats	Becomes largest party in Reichstag

1932 (Nov)	Nazis drop to 196 seats	Seen as temporary setback

Overall	Gains power through elections and elite support	Sets stage for 1933 takeover