Adolf Hitler
Führer 3rd President of Germany (Weimar Republic)
In office 2 August 1934 – 30 April 1945
Preceded by	Paul von Hindenburg (as President)
Succeeded by	Karl Dönitz (as President)
Chancellor of Germany Reichskanzler
In office 30 January 1933 – 30 April 1945
Preceded by	Kurt von Schleicher
Succeeded by	Joseph Goebbels
Born	20 April 1889 Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary
Died	April 30, 1945 (aged 56) Berlin, Germany
Nationality	Austrian until 1925;[1] after 1932 German
Political party	National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP)
Spouse	Eva Braun (married on April 29, 1945)
Occupation	Writer, Politican, Head of State, Artist
Religion	Christianity[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] (see section below)
Signature

Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who led the National Socialist German Workers Party. The Reichspräsident was the German Head of state during the period of the 1919-1934 Weimar Republic and the title was later briefly revived Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Braunau am Inn is a City in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria ( Oberösterreich) the north-western state of Austria Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Anna Paula Hitler ( 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A politician (from Greek " Polis " is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of Politics or a person The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 He was Chancellor of Germany (1933–1945) and Führer of Germany (1934–1945). The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler

After World War I, the Nazi Party gained power during Germany's period of crisis by exploiting nationalism, antisemitism, anti-communism, propaganda and by Hitler's charismatic oratory. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility Anti-communism refers to opposition to Communism. Historically the word "communism" has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and Nazi propaganda is the term that describes the psychologically powerful Propaganda within Nazi Germany, much of which was centered around Jews consistently The Sociologist Max Weber defined charismatic authority as "resting on devotion to the exceptional sanctity heroism or exemplary character of an individual person Oratory is the art of (public speaking In ancient Greece and Rome, oratory was studied as a component of Rhetoric (that is composition and delivery The Nazis executed or assassinated many of their opponents, restructured the state economy, rearmed the armed forces (Wehrmacht) and established a totalitarian and fascist dictatorship. Germany is one of the world's most advanced market economies. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 Totalitarianism (or totalitarian rule) is a concept used to describe Political systems where a State regulates nearly every aspect of public and private Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. Hitler pursued a foreign policy with the goal of seizing Lebensraum. Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American Magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P ( German for " habitat " or literally "living space" served as a major motivation for Nazi Germany 's territorial aggression The German Invasion of Poland in 1939 caused the British and French Empires to declare war on Germany, effectively beginning World War II. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. France was a dominant empire in the world from the 1600s to the late 1960s possessing many colonies in various locations around the world World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[9]

The Axis Powers occupied most of Mainland Europe and parts of Asia and Africa. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European Eventually the Allies defeated the Wehrmacht. The Allies of World War II were the countries officially opposed to the Axis powers during the Second World War. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 By 1945, Germany was in ruins. Hitler's bid for territorial conquest and racial subjugation caused the deaths of tens of millions of people, including the systematic genocide of an estimated six million Jews, not including various additional "undesirable" populations, in what is known as the Holocaust. List of racism-related topics|Racism by country Racism, by its simplest definition is the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that Genocide is the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or in part of an ethnic racial religious or national group PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Untermensch ( German for under man, sub-man, sub-human; plural Untermenschen is a term from Nazi racial Ideology The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as

During the final days of the war in 1945, as Berlin was being invaded and destroyed by the Red Army, Hitler married Eva Braun. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Anna Paula Hitler ( 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of Less than 24 hours later, the two committed suicide in the Führerbunker. The generally accepted cause of the death of Adolf Hitler on Monday 30 April 1945 is Suicide by gunshot and Cyanide poisoning The Führerbunker ( German, literally meaning "shelter for the leader" or "the Führer's shelter" is a common name for a complex of subterranean rooms

Early years

Adolf Hitler as an infant.

Childhood and heritage

Adolf Hitler was born at the Gasthof zum Pommer, an inn in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, on 20 April 1889 at 6. Braunau am Inn is a City in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria ( Oberösterreich) the north-western state of Austria 30 in the evening^[10], the fourth child of six. ^[11] His father, Alois Hitler, (1837–1903), was a customs official. Alois Hitler (born Alois Schicklgruber; 7 June 1837 – 3 January 1903 was the father of Adolf Hitler. His mother, Klara Pölzl, (1860–1907), was Alois' third wife. Klara Hitler, born Klara Pölzl ( August 12, 1860 - December 21, 1907) was the mother of Adolf Hitler by her husband She was also his half-niece, so a papal dispensation was obtained for the marriage. Papal dispensation is a reserved right of the Pope that allows for individuals to be exempted from a specific Canon Law. Of Alois and Klara's six children, only Adolf and his sister Paula reached adulthood. Paula Hitler ( January 21, 1896 – June 1, 1960) was the younger sister of Adolf Hitler, and the last child of Alois Hitler ^[12] Hitler's father also had a son, Alois Jr, and a daughter, Angela, by his second wife. Alois Hitler Jr, born Alois Matzelsberger ( January 13, 1882 in Vienna &ndash May 20, 1956 in Hamburg Angela Franziska Johanna Hammitzsch (nee Hitler 28 July 1883 &ndash 30 October 1949) first married to Leo Raubal ^[12]

Alois Hitler was an illegitimate child. In Common law, legitimacy is the status of a Child that is born to parents who are legally married to one another or that is born shortly after the For the first 39 years of his life he bore his mother's surname, Schicklgruber. In 1876, he took the surname of his stepfather, Johann Georg Hiedler. Johann Georg Hiedler ( 28 September, 1792 &ndash 1857 was born to Martin Hiedler ( 17 November, 1762 &ndash 10 January, 1829 The name was spelled Hiedler, Huetler, Huettler and Hitler, and probably regularized to Hitler by a clerk. The origin of the name is either 'one who lives in a hut' (Standard Ger. Hütte), 'shepherd' (Standard Ger. hüten 'to guard,' Eng. heed), or is from the Slavic word Hidlar and Hidlarcek. The Slavic languages (also called Slavonic languages) a group of closely related Languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages (Regarding the first two theories: some German dialects make little or no distinction between the ü-sound and the i-sound. )

Allied propaganda exploited Hitler's original family name during World War II. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people Pamphlets bearing the phrase "Heil Schicklgruber" were airdropped over German cities. An airdrop is a type of Airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been Airborne But he was legally born a Hitler and was also related to Hiedler via his maternal grandmother, Johanna Hiedler. Johanna Pölzl born Hiedler ( January 19, 1830 − February 8, 1906) was the maternal grandmother of Adolf Hitler.

The name "Adolf" comes from Old High German for "noble wolf" (Adel=nobility + wolf). Hence, one of Hitler's self-given nicknames was Wolf or Herr Wolf—he began using this nickname in the early 1920s and was addressed by it only by intimates (as "Uncle Wolf" by the Wagners) up until the fall of the Third Reich. ^[13] The names of his various headquarters scattered throughout continental Europe (Wolfsschanze in East Prussia, Wolfsschlucht in France, Werwolf in Ukraine, etc. Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the Continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. ) reflect this. By his closest family and relatives, Hitler was known as "Adi".

Hitler said that, as a boy, he was often beaten by his father. Years later he told his secretary, "I then resolved never again to cry when my father whipped me. A few days later I had the opportunity of putting my will to the test. Will, or willpower is a philosophical concept that is defined in several different ways My mother, frightened, took refuge in the front of the door. As for me, I counted silently the blows of the stick which lashed my rear end. "^[14]

Hitler's paternal grandfather was most likely one of the brothers Johann Georg Hiedler or Johann Nepomuk Hiedler. Alois Hitler (born Alois Schicklgruber; 7 June 1837 – 3 January 1903 was the father of Adolf Hitler. Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, also known as Johann Nepomuk Hüttler ( March 19, 1807 &ndash September 17, 1888) was a maternal great-grandfather There were rumours that Hitler was one-quarter Jewish and that his grandmother, Maria Schicklgruber, became pregnant while working as a servant in a Jewish household. Maria Anna Schicklgruber ( 15 April, 1795 &ndash 7 January, 1847) was Adolf Hitler 's paternal grandmother The implications of these rumours were politically explosive for the proponent of a racist and anti-Semitic ideology. Opponents tried to prove that Hitler had Jewish or Czech ancestors. Czechs (Češi ˈt͡ʃɛʃɪ archaic Čechové) are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic Although these rumours were never confirmed, for Hitler they were reason enough to conceal his origins. According to Robert G. L. Waite in The Psychopathic God: Adolf Hitler, Hitler made it illegal for German women to work in Jewish households, and after the "Anschluss" (annexation) of Austria, Hitler turned his father's hometown into an artillery practice area. The Psychopathic God Adolf Hitler is a 1977 book written by Robert G The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Waite says that Hitler's insecurities in this regard may have been more important than whether Judaic ancestry could have been proven by his peers.

Ludwig Wittgenstein and Hitler in school in a photograph taken at the Linz Realschule in 1903.

Hitler's family moved often, from Braunau am Inn to Passau, Lambach, Leonding, and Linz. Passau ( Latin: Batavis or Batavia, also Passavium; Italian: Passavia; Czech: Pasov) is a town in Lambach is a Market town in the Wels-Land district of Upper Austria, Austria, on the Ager and Traun Rivers Leonding is a city situated to the southwest of Linz, Austria in the state of Upper Austria. Linz is the third largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich The young Hitler was a good student in elementary school. But in the sixth grade, his first year of high school (Realschule) in Linz he failed and had to repeat the grade. His teachers said that he had "no desire to work. " One of Hitler's fellow pupils in the Realschule was Ludwig Wittgenstein, one of the great philosophers of the 20th century. A book by Kimberley Cornish suggests that conflict between Hitler and some Jewish students, including Wittgenstein, was a critical moment in Hitler's formation as an anti-Semite. ^[15]

Hitler later said that his educational slump was a rebellion against his father, who wanted the boy to follow him in a career as a customs official; he wanted to become a painter instead. This explanation is further supported by Hitler's later description of himself as a misunderstood artist. After Alois died on 3 January 1903, Hitler's schoolwork did not improve. Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting At age 16, Hitler dropped out of high school without a degree.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler attributed his conversion to German nationalism to a time during his early teenage years when he read a book of his father's about the Franco-Prussian War, which caused him to question why his father and other German Austrians failed to fight for the Germans during the war. Mein Kampf ( English: My Struggle/My Battle) is a book by Adolf Hitler. The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 ^[16]

Early adulthood in Vienna and Munich

From 1905 on, Hitler lived a bohemian life in Vienna on an orphan's pension and support from his mother. The term bohemian, of French origin was first used in the English language in the nineteenth century to describe the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished Artists Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. He was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (1907–1908), citing "unfitness for painting," and was told his abilities lay instead in the field of architecture. The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien is an institution of higher education in Vienna, Austria. The term architecture (from Greek αρχιτεκτονικήarchitektoniki) can be used to mean a process a profession or documentation ^[17] His memoirs reflect a fascination with the subject:

Following the school rector's recommendation, he too became convinced this was the path to pursue, yet he lacked the proper academic preparation for architecture school:

On 21 December 1907, Hitler's mother died of breast cancer at age 47. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Breast cancer is a Cancer that starts in the cells of the Breast in women and men Ordered by a court in Linz, Hitler gave his share of the orphans' benefits to his sister Paula. An orphan (from the Greek ὀρφανός) is a child whose natural parents are absent or dead and who are not there to bring him up When he was 21, he inherited money from an aunt. He struggled as a painter in Vienna, copying scenes from postcards and selling his paintings to merchants and tourists. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria.

After being rejected a second time by the Academy of Arts, Hitler ran out of money. In 1909, he lived in a shelter for the homeless. By 1910, he had settled into a house for poor working men.

Hitler said he first became an anti-Semite in Vienna,^[20] which had a large Jewish community, including Orthodox Jews who had fled from pogroms in Russia. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized A pogrom is a form of Riot directed against a particular group whether ethnic religious or other and characterized by destruction of their Homes Businesses Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending But according to a childhood friend, August Kubizek, Hitler was a "confirmed anti-Semite" before he left Linz, Austria. August (Gustl Kubizek ( 3 August 1888 Linz &ndash 23 October 1956 Eferding) was a close friend of Adolf Hitler when both were in ^[20] Vienna at that time was a hotbed of traditional religious prejudice and 19th century racism. Hitler may have been influenced by the writings of the ideologist and anti-Semite Lanz von Liebenfels and polemics from politicians such as Karl Lueger, founder of the Christian Social Party and Mayor of Vienna, the composer Richard Wagner, and Georg Ritter von Schönerer, leader of the pan-Germanic Away from Rome! movement. Adolf Josef Lanz (aka Jörg Lanz) who called himself Lanz von Liebenfels ( July 19 1874 - April 22, 1954) was an Austrian Polemics (pəˈlɛmɪks/ /poʊ- is the practice of disputing or controverting religious, philosophical, or political matters Karl Lueger ( IPA not) ( October 24, 1844 - March 10, 1910) was an Austrian politician and Mayor of Vienna The following people were Mayors of Vienna:; Habsburg Monarchy Konrad Poll 1282 Heinrich Hansgraf 1285 Georg Ritter von Schönerer ( July 17, 1842 - August 14, 1921) was an Austrian politician active in the late 1800s and Pan-Germanism (Pangermanismus or Alldeutsche Bewegung was a political movement of the 19th century aiming for unity of the German -speaking peoples of Europe Hitler claims in Mein Kampf that his transition from opposing anti-Semitism on religious grounds to supporting it on racial grounds came from having seen an Orthodox Jew:

If this account is true, Hitler apparently did not act on his new belief. He often was a guest for dinner in a noble Jewish house, and he interacted well with Jewish merchants who tried to sell his paintings. ^[21]

Hitler may also have been influenced by Martin Luther's On the Jews and their Lies. Martin Luther (November 10 1483 February 18 1546 was a German Monk, theologian, university professor Father of Protestantism, and church reformer On the Jews and Their Lies (Von den Jüden und iren Lügen in modern spelling de ''Von den Juden und ihren Lügen'' is a 65000-word treatise written by German Reformation In Mein Kampf, Hitler refers to Martin Luther as a great warrior, a true statesmen, and a great reformer, alongside Wagner and Frederick the Great. Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the ^[22] Wilhelm Röpke, writing after the Holocaust, concluded that "without any question, Lutheranism influenced the political, spiritual and social history of Germany in a way that, after careful consideration of everything, can be described only as fateful. Wilhelm Röpke ( October 10, 1899 in Schwarmstedt – February 12, 1966 in Geneva) was one of the most important spiritual Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther "^[23][24]

Hitler claimed that Jews were enemies of the Aryan race. The " Aryan race " is a concept in European culture that was influential in the period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries He held them responsible for Austria's crisis. He also identified certain forms of Socialism and Bolshevism, which had many Jewish leaders, as Jewish movements, merging his anti-Semitism with anti-Marxism. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists ( Большевик Большевист (singular, derived from bolshe, "more" were a faction Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Later, blaming Germany's military defeat on the 1918 revolutions, he considered Jews the culprit of Imperial Germany's downfall and subsequent economic problems as well.

Generalising from tumultuous scenes in the parliament of the multi-national Austrian monarchy, he decided that the democratic parliamentary system was unworkable. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which However, according to August Kubizek, his one-time roommate, he was more interested in Wagner's operas than in his politics.

Hitler received the final part of his father's estate in May 1913 and moved to Munich. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. He wrote in Mein Kampf that he had always longed to live in a "real" German city. In Munich, he became more interested in architecture and, he says, the writings of Houston Stewart Chamberlain. Houston Stewart Chamberlain ( September 9, 1855 - January 9, 1927) was a British -born author of books on political philosophy natural Moving to Munich also helped him escape military service in Austria for a time, but the Austrian army eventually arrested him. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority After a physical exam and a contrite plea, he was deemed unfit for service and allowed to return to Munich. However, when Germany entered World War I in August 1914, he petitioned King Ludwig III of Bavaria for permission to serve in a Bavarian regiment. Ludwig III ( Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried; English: Louis Leopold Joseph Mary Aloysius Alfred) ( January 7, 1845 This request was granted, and Adolf Hitler enlisted in the Bavarian army. ^[25]

A young Hitler (left) posed with other German soldiers

World War I

Hitler served in France and Belgium in the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment (called Regiment List after its first commander), ending the war as a Gefreiter (equivalent at the time to a lance corporal in the British and American armies). This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Gefreiter is the German, Swiss and Austrian equivalent for Private (OR-2 (US Army E-2) in the armed services Lance Corporal is a Military rank, used by many armed forces worldwide and also by some Police forces and other uniformed organizations He was a runner, the most dangerous job on the Western Front, and was often exposed to enemy fire. ^[26] He participated in a number of major battles on the Western Front, including the First Battle of Ypres, the Battle of the Somme, the Battle of Arras and the Battle of Passchendaele. Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914 the German army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining The First Battle of Ypres, also called the Battle of Flanders, was the last major battle of the first year of World War I (1914 The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, fought from July to November 1916 was among the largest battles of the First World War WikipediaHow to fix bunched-up edit links --> WikipediaHow "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as ^[27]

Hitler was twice decorated for bravery. He received the Iron Cross, Second Class, in 1914 and Iron Cross, First Class, in 1918, an honour rarely given to a Gefreiter. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia ^[28] However, because the regimental staff thought Hitler lacked leadership skills, he was never promoted to Unteroffizier (equivalent to a British corporal). Unteroffizier is both a specific Military rank as well as a collective term for Non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century Other historians say that the reason he was not promoted is that he was not a German citizen. His duties at regimental headquarters, while often dangerous, gave Hitler time to pursue his artwork. He drew cartoons and instructional drawings for an army newspaper. In 1916, he was wounded in the leg during the Battle of the Somme, but returned to the front in March 1917. The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, fought from July to November 1916 was among the largest battles of the First World War He received the Wound Badge later that year. Wound Badge (das Verwundetenabzeichen was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Reichswehr, Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service Sebastian Haffner, referring to Hitler's experience at the front, suggests he did have at least some understanding of the military. Sebastian Haffner ( December 27, 1907, Berlin &ndash January 2, 1999, pseudonym for Raimund Pretzel) was a German

On 15 October 1918, Hitler was admitted to a field hospital, temporarily blinded by a mustard gas attack. Events 533 - Byzantine General Belisarius makes his formal entry into Carthage, having conquered it from the Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical The English psychologist David Lewis^[29] and Bernhard Horstmann indicate the blindness may have been the result of a conversion disorder (then known as hysteria). David Lewis, a French born neuropsychologist is currently director of research at The Mind Lab Conversion disorder is a condition where patients present with neurological symptoms such as Numbness, Paralysis, or fits, but where no neurological explanation Hysteria in its colloquial use describes a state of Mind, one of unmanageable Fear or Emotional excesses Hitler said it was during this experience that he became convinced the purpose of his life was to "save Germany. " Some scholars, notably Lucy Dawidowicz,^[30] argue that an intention to exterminate Europe's Jews was fully formed in Hitler's mind at this time, though he probably had not thought through how it could be done. Lucy Schildkret Dawidowicz ( June 16, 1915 – December 5, 1990) was an American Historian and an author of books on modern Jewish Most historians think the decision was made in 1941, and some think it came as late as 1942.

Two passages in Mein Kampf mention the use of poison gas:

Hitler had long admired Germany, and during the war he had become a passionate German patriot, although he did not become a German citizen until 1932. He was shocked by Germany's capitulation in November 1918 even while the German army still held enemy territory. ^[33] Like many other German nationalists, Hitler believed in the Dolchstoßlegende ("dagger-stab legend") which claimed that the army, "undefeated in the field", had been "stabbed in the back" by civilian leaders and Marxists back on the home front. The stab-in-the-back legend ( German:, literally "Dagger stab legend" refers to a social Myth theory popular in Germany in the period after Home front is the informal term commonly used to describe the Civilian populace of the Nation at War as an active support These politicians were later dubbed the November Criminals. The stab-in-the-back legend ( German:, literally "Dagger stab legend" refers to a social Myth theory popular in Germany in the period after

The Treaty of Versailles deprived Germany of various territories, demilitarised the Rhineland and imposed other economically damaging sanctions. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Demilitarisation or demilitarization is the reduction of a nation's army weapons or military vehicles to an agreed minimum The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. The treaty re-created Poland, which even moderate Germans regarded as an outrage. The treaty also blamed Germany for all the horrors of the war, something which major historians like John Keegan now consider at least in part to be victor's justice: most European nations in the run-up to World War I had become increasingly militarised and were eager to fight. Sir John Desmond Patrick Keegan OBE (born 15 May, 1934) is a British Military historian, lecturer and journalist The label " victor's justice " (in German,) to a situation in which they believe that a victorious nation is applying different rules to judge what is right Militarization, or militarisation, is the process by which a Society organizes itself for Military conflict and Violence. The culpability of Germany was used as a basis to impose reparations on Germany (the amount was repeatedly revised under the Dawes Plan, the Young Plan, and the Hoover Moratorium). The Dawes Plan (as proposed by the Dawes Committee chaired by Charles G The Young Plan was a program for settlement of German reparations debts after World War I. The Hoover Moratorium was a public statement issued by US President Herbert Hoover on June 20 1931 in order to deal with a very serious banking collapse Germany in turn perceived the treaty and especially the paragraph on the German responsibility for the war as a humiliation. For example, there was a nearly total demilitarisation of the armed forces, allowing Germany only six battleships, no submarines, no air force, an army of 100,000 without conscription and no armoured vehicles. The treaty was an important factor in both the social and political conditions encountered by Hitler and his Nazis as they sought power. Hitler and his party used the signing of the treaty by the "November Criminals" as a reason to build up Germany so that it could never happen again. He also used the "November Criminals" as scapegoats, although at the Paris peace conference, these politicians had had very little choice in the matter.

Entry into politics

Main article: Hitler's political beliefs

A copy of Adolf Hitler's forged German Workers' Party (DAP) membership card. Historians and biographers note some difficulty in attributing the political beliefs of Adolf Hitler. The German Workers' Party ('Deutsche Arbeiterpartei', or DAP was the short-lived predecessor of the Nazi Party (German Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei His actual membership number was 555 (the 55th member of the party - the 500 was added to make the group appear larger) but later the number was reduced to create the impression that Hitler was one of the founding members (Ian Kershaw Hubris). Hitler had wanted to create his own party, but was ordered by his superiors in the Reichswehr to infiltrate an existing one instead.

After World War I, Hitler remained in the army and returned to Munich, where he - in contrast to his later declarations - participated in the funeral march for the murdered Bavarian prime minister Kurt Eisner. Kurt Eisner ( May 14 1867 in Berlin – February 21, 1919 in München)was a Bavarian Politician ^[34] After the suppression of the Bavarian Soviet Republic, he took part in "national thinking" courses organized by the Education and Propaganda Department (Dept Ib/P) of the Bavarian Reichswehr Group, Headquarters 4 under Captain Karl Mayr. The Bavarian Soviet Republic, also known as the Munich Soviet Republic ( German: Bayerische Räterepublik or Münchner Räterepublik) was Karl Mayr (1883 – 1945 General Staff officer and Hitler's immediate superior in an Army Intelligence Division in the Reichswehr, 1919-1920 Scapegoats were found in "international Jewry", communists, and politicians across the party spectrum, especially the parties of the Weimar Coalition. The Weimar Coalition (Weimarer Koalition is the name given to the coalition of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD the German Democratic

In July 1919, Hitler was appointed a Verbindungsmann (police spy) of an Aufklärungskommando (Intelligence Commando) of the Reichswehr, both to influence other soldiers and to infiltrate a small party, the German Workers' Party (DAP). The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was The German Workers' Party ('Deutsche Arbeiterpartei', or DAP was the short-lived predecessor of the Nazi Party (German Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei During his inspection of the party, Hitler was impressed with founder Anton Drexler's anti-Semitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist and anti-Marxist ideas, which favoured a strong active government, a "non-Jewish" version of socialism and mutual solidarity of all members of society. Anton Drexler ( 13 June 1884 - 24 February 1942) was a German Nazi political leader of the 1920s Anti-capitalism describes a wide variety of movements ideas and attitudes which oppose Capitalism. Drexler was impressed with Hitler's oratory skills and invited him to join as the party's 55th member. He was also made the seventh member of the executive committee. Years later, he claimed to be the party's seventh overall member, but it has been established that this claim is false.

Here Hitler also met Dietrich Eckart, one of the early founders of the party and member of the occult Thule Society. Dietrich Eckart ( 23 March 1868 - 26 December 1923) was a German politician one of the important early members of the National Socialist The Thule Society (Thule-Gesellschaft originally the Studiengruppe für germanisches Altertum 'Study Group for Germanic Antiquity' was a German Occultist ^[35] Eckart became Hitler's mentor, exchanging ideas with him, teaching him how to dress and speak, and introducing him to a wide range of people. Hitler thanked Eckart by paying tribute to him in the second volume of Mein Kampf. To increase the party's appeal, the party changed its name to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or National Socialist German Workers Party. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945

Hitler was discharged from the army in March 1920 and with his former superiors' continued encouragement began participating full time in the party's activities. By early 1921, Hitler was becoming highly effective at speaking in front of large crowds. In February, Hitler spoke before a crowd of nearly six thousand in Munich. To publicize the meeting, he sent out two truckloads of party supporters to drive around with swastikas, cause a commotion and throw out leaflets, their first use of this tactic. The swastika (from Sanskrit: svástika sa स्वस्तिक Hindu IS CORRECT if 'ि' is positioned incorrectly see -->) is Hitler gained notoriety outside of the party for his rowdy, polemic speeches against the Treaty of Versailles, rival politicians (including monarchists, nationalists and other non-internationalist socialists) and especially against Marxists and Jews. Polemics (pəˈlɛmɪks/ /poʊ- is the practice of disputing or controverting religious, philosophical, or political matters The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. Monarchism is the advocacy of the establishment preservation or restoration of a Monarchy as a Form of government in a nation

The DAP was centered in Munich, a hotbed of German nationalists who included Army officers determined to crush Marxism and undermine the Weimar republic. Gradually they noticed Hitler and his growing movement as a vehicle to hitch themselves to. Hitler traveled to Berlin to visit nationalist groups during the summer of 1921, and in his absence there was a revolt among the DAP leadership in Munich.

The party was run by an executive committee whose original members considered Hitler to be overbearing. They formed an alliance with a group of socialists from Augsburg. Augsburg is an independent City in the south-west of Bavaria. Hitler rushed back to Munich and countered them by tendering his resignation from the party on 11 July 1921. Events 911 - Signing of the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte between Charles the Simple and Rollo of Normandy. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar When they realized the loss of Hitler would effectively mean the end of the party, he seized the moment and announced he would return on the condition that he replace Drexler as party chairman, with unlimited powers. Infuriated committee members (including Drexler) held out at first. Meanwhile an anonymous pamphlet appeared entitled Adolf Hitler: Is he a traitor?, attacking Hitler's lust for power and criticizing the violent men around him. Hitler responded to its publication in a Munich newspaper by suing for libel and later won a small settlement.

The executive committee of the DAP eventually backed down and Hitler's demands were put to a vote of party members. Hitler received 543 votes for and only one against. At the next gathering on 29 July 1921, Adolf Hitler was introduced as Führer of the National Socialist Party, marking the first time this title was publicly used. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar

Hitler's beer hall oratory, attacking Jews, social democrats, liberals, reactionary monarchists, capitalists and communists, began attracting adherents. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left Liberalism is a broad array of related ideas and theories of Government that consider individual Liberty to be the most important political goal Capitalism is the Economic system in which the Means of production are owned by private Persons and operated for Profit and where Early followers included Rudolf Hess, the former air force pilot Hermann Göring, and the army captain Ernst Röhm, who became head of the Nazis' paramilitary organization, the SA (Sturmabteilung, or "Storm Division"), which protected meetings and attacked political opponents. Rudolf Walter Richard Hess ( Heß in German) (26 April 1894 &ndash 17 August 1987 was a prominent figure in Nazi Germany, acting as Adolf Hitler Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Ernst Julius Röhm, (Munich November 28, 1887 – July 2, 1934) was a German military officer and later the commander and co-founder A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military force but which are not regarded as having the same status The, abbreviated SA, ( German for "Assault detachment" or "Assault section" usually translated as " stormtroop(ers Hitler also assimilated independent groups, such as the Nuremberg-based Deutsche Werkgemeinschaft, led by Julius Streicher, who became Gauleiter of Franconia. Julius Streicher ( February 12, 1885 &ndash October 16, 1946) was a prominent Nazi prior to World War II. A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Franconia (Franken is a historic region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria and the area to its immediate west Hitler also attracted the attention of local business interests, was accepted into influential circles of Munich society, and became associated with wartime General Erich Ludendorff during this time. Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff (sometimes given incorrectly as von Ludendorff) (9 April 1865–20 December 1937 was a German Army officer, Generalquartiermeister

Drawing of Hitler, 1923.

Beer Hall Putsch

Main article: Beer Hall Putsch

Encouraged by this early support, Hitler decided to use Ludendorff as a front in an attempted coup later known as the Beer Hall Putsch (sometimes as the Hitler Putsch or Munich Putsch). The Beer Hall Putsch (also known as the Munich Putsch) was a failed Coup d'état that occurred between the evening of Thursday November 8 The Beer Hall Putsch (also known as the Munich Putsch) was a failed Coup d'état that occurred between the evening of Thursday November 8 The Nazi Party had copied Italy's fascists in appearance and also had adopted some programmatical points, and in 1923, Hitler wanted to emulate Mussolini's "March on Rome" by staging his own "Campaign in Berlin". Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Fascism is a totalitarian nationalist and corporatist ideology The March on Rome ( Marcia su Roma) was a Coup d'état by which Mussolini 's National Fascist Party ( Partito Nazionale Fascista Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Hitler and Ludendorff obtained the clandestine support of Gustav von Kahr, Bavaria's de facto ruler, along with leading figures in the Reichswehr and the police. Gustav Ritter von Kahr ( November 29, 1862 &ndash June 30, 1934) was a German right-wing conservative Politician, active As political posters show, Ludendorff, Hitler and the heads of the Bavarian police and military planned on forming a new government.

On 8 November 1923, Hitler and the SA stormed a public meeting headed by Kahr in the Bürgerbräukeller, a large beer hall outside of Munich. Events 1519 - Hernán Cortés enters Tenochtitlán and Aztec ruler Moctezuma welcomes him with great a Celebration Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He declared that he had set up a new government with Ludendorff and demanded, at gunpoint, the support of Kahr and the local military establishment for the destruction of the Berlin government. ^[36] Kahr withdrew his support and fled to join the opposition to Hitler at the first opportunity. ^[37] The next day, when Hitler and his followers marched from the beer hall to the Bavarian War Ministry to overthrow the Bavarian government as a start to their "March on Berlin", the police dispersed them. Sixteen NSDAP members were killed. The Beer Hall Putsch (also known as the Munich Putsch) was a failed Coup d'état that occurred between the evening of Thursday November 8 ^[38]

Hitler fled to the home of Ernst Hanfstaengl and contemplated suicide. Ernst Franz Sedgwick Hanfstaengl ( Munich, February 2, 1887 - November 6, 1975) worked for both Franklin Delano Roosevelt He was soon arrested for high treason. See also Treason, High treason in the United Kingdom High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's country Alfred Rosenberg became temporary leader of the party. (12 January 1893 16 October 1946 was an early and intellectually influential member of the Nazi Party. During Hitler's trial, he was given almost unlimited time to speak, and his popularity soared as he voiced nationalistic sentiments. A Munich personality became a nationally known figure. On 1 April 1924, Hitler was sentenced to five years' imprisonment at Landsberg Prison. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Landsberg Prison is a penal facility located in the town of Landsberg am Lech in the southwest of the German state of Bavaria, about 30 miles (65 km Hitler received favoured treatment from the guards and had much fan mail from admirers. Fans in Little Italyjpg|thumb|right|Fans in Little Italy Manhattan celebrating the victory of the Italian association football team after the 2006 FIFA World Cup]][[Image Wm-oly-de-cr ^[39] He was pardoned and released from jail in December 1924, as part of a general amnesty for political prisoners. Including time on remand, he had served little more than one year of his sentence. ^[39]

Mein Kampf

Main article: Mein Kampf

While at Landsberg he dictated Mein Kampf (My Struggle, originally entitled "Four Years of Struggle against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice") to his deputy Rudolf Hess. Mein Kampf ( English: My Struggle/My Battle) is a book by Adolf Hitler. ^[39] The book, dedicated to Thule Society member Dietrich Eckart, was an autobiography and an exposition of his ideology. An autobiography, from the Greek αὐτός autos "self" βίος bios "life" and γράφειν graphein "to write" It was published in two volumes in 1925 and 1926, selling about 240,000 copies between 1925 and 1934. By the end of the war, about 10 million copies had been sold or distributed (newly-weds and soldiers received free copies).

Hitler spent years dodging taxes on the royalties of his book and had accumulated a tax debt of about 405,500 Reichsmarks (€6 million in today's money) by the time he became chancellor (at which time his debt was waived). For a detailed discussion of the English translation of Reich, see Reich. ^[40][41]

The copyright of Mein Kampf in Europe is claimed by the Free State of Bavaria and scheduled to end on 31 December 2015. Copyright is a legal concept enacted by Governments, giving the creator of an original work of authorship Exclusive rights to control its distribution usually for Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. 2015 ( MMXV) will be a Common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. Reproductions in Germany are authorized only for scholarly purposes and in heavily commented form. The situation is however unclear. Historian Werner Maser, in an interview with Bild am Sonntag has stated that Peter Raubal, son of Hitler's nephew, Leo Raubal, would have a strong legal case for winning the copyright from Bavaria if he pursued it. The Bild (formerly Bild-Zeitung, lit Picture Newspaper) is a German Newspaper published by Axel Springer AG. Raubal has stated he wants no part of the rights to the book, which could be worth millions of euros. ^[42] The uncertain status has led to contested trials in Poland and Sweden. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Mein Kampf, however, is published in the U. S. , as well as in other countries such as Turkey and Israel, by publishers with various political positions. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics.

Rebuilding of the party

Adolf Hitler, behind Hermann Göring, at a Nazi rally in Nuremberg in 1928. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member

At the time of Hitler's release, the political situation in Germany had calmed and the economy had improved, which hampered Hitler's opportunities for agitation. Though the Hitler Putsch had given Hitler some national prominence, his party's mainstay was still Munich.

Since Hitler was still banned from public speeches, he appointed Gregor Strasser, who in 1924 had been elected to the Reichstag, as Reichsorganisationsleiter, authorizing him to organize the party in northern Germany. Gregor Strasser (also Straßer, see ß) ( May 31, 1892 &ndash June 30, 1934) was a Politician of the German The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, Strasser, joined by his younger brother Otto and Joseph Goebbels, steered an increasingly independent course, emphasizing the socialist element in the party's programme. Otto Johann Maximilian Strasser ( September 10 1897 – August 27 1974) was a German politician and ' Left-wing ' member of Paul Joseph Goebbels (German pronunciation ˈɡœbəls English generally ˈɡɝbəlz (29 October 1897 1 May 1945 was a German politician and Reich Minister of Public The Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Gauleiter Nord-West became an internal opposition, threatening Hitler's authority, but this faction was defeated at the Bamberg Conference in 1926, during which Goebbels joined Hitler. The Bamberg Conference (1926 was held during the "wilderness years" of the Nazi party

After this encounter, Hitler centralized the party even more and asserted the Führerprinzip ("Leader principle") as the basic principle of party organization. The, German for "leader principle" prescribes a system with a hierarchy of leaders that resembles a military structure Leaders were not elected by their group but were rather appointed by their superior and were answerable to them while demanding unquestioning obedience from their inferiors. Consistent with Hitler's disdain for democracy, all power and authority devolved from the top down. Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system

A key element of Hitler's appeal was his ability to evoke a sense of offended national pride caused by the Treaty of Versailles imposed on the defeated German Empire by the Western Allies. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Germany had lost economically important territory in Europe along with its colonies and in admitting to sole responsibility for the war had agreed to pay a huge reparations bill totaling 132 billion marks. World War I reparations refers to the payments and transfers of property and equipment that the German country was forced to make under the Treaty of Versailles (1919 following The Goldmark (officially just Mark) is the name used for the currency of the German Empire from 1873 to 1914 Most Germans bitterly resented these terms, but early Nazi attempts to gain support by blaming these humiliations on "international Jewry" were not particularly successful with the electorate. The party learned quickly, and soon a more subtle propaganda emerged, combining anti-Semitism with an attack on the failures of the "Weimar system" and the parties supporting it.

Having failed in overthrowing the Republic by a coup, Hitler pursued a "strategy of legality": this meant formally adhering to the rules of the Weimar Republic until he had legally gained power. He would then use the institutions of the Weimar Republic to destroy it and establish himself as dictator. Some party members, especially in the paramilitary SA, opposed this strategy; Röhm ridiculed Hitler as "Adolphe Legalité". The, abbreviated SA, ( German for "Assault detachment" or "Assault section" usually translated as " stormtroop(ers

Rise to power

Main article: Hitler's rise to power

Brüning Administration

The political turning point for Hitler came when the Great Depression hit Germany in 1930. The Weimar Republic had never been firmly rooted and was openly opposed by right-wing conservatives (including monarchists), Communists and the Nazis. Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favour Tradition, where tradition refers to various religious cultural or nationally defined As the parties loyal to the democratic, parliamentary republic found themselves unable to agree on counter-measures, their Grand Coalition broke up and was replaced by a minority cabinet. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government A grand coalition is a Coalition government in a Multi-party Parliamentary system where the two largest political parties unite in a coalition The new Chancellor, Heinrich Brüning of the Roman Catholic Centre Party, lacking a majority in parliament, had to implement his measures through the president's emergency decrees. Dr Heinrich Brüning ( ( November 26, 1885 &ndash March 30, 1970) was a German Politician during the Weimar Republic The German Centre Party ( Deutsche Zentrumspartei or merely Zentrum) was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors or order government agencies Tolerated by the majority of parties, this rule by decree would become the norm over a series of unworkable parliaments and paved the way for authoritarian forms of government. Authoritarianism describes a Form of government characterized by an emphasis on the Authority of the State in a republic or union

The Reichstag's initial opposition to Brüning's measures led to premature elections in September 1930. The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, The republican parties lost their majority and their ability to resume the Grand Coalition, while the Nazis suddenly rose from relative obscurity to win 18. 3% of the vote along with 107 seats. In the process, they jumped from the sixth-smallest party in the chamber to the second largest.

Brüning's measures of budget consolidation and financial austerity brought little economic improvement and were extremely unpopular. In Economics, austerity is when a national government reduces its spending in order to pay back Creditors Austerity is usually required when a government's fiscal Under these circumstances, Hitler appealed to the bulk of German farmers, war veterans and the middle class, who had been hard-hit by both the inflation of the 1920s and the unemployment of the Depression. Hitler received little response from the urban working classes and traditionally Catholic regions.

Hitler's niece Geli Raubal was found dead in her bedroom in his Munich apartment (his half-sister Angela and her daughter Geli had been with him in Munich since 1929), an apparent suicide. Angelika Maria "Geli" Raubal ( June 4, 1908 &ndash September 19/18 1931 was Adolf Hitler 's Niece. Angela Franziska Johanna Hammitzsch (nee Hitler 28 July 1883 &ndash 30 October 1949) first married to Leo Raubal Geli, who was believed to be in some sort of romantic relationship with Hitler, was 19 years younger than he was and had used his gun. His niece's death is viewed as a source of deep, lasting pain for him. ^[43]

In 1932, Hitler intended to run against the aging President Paul von Hindenburg in the scheduled presidential elections. The President of Germany (deutscher Bundespräsident is Germany 's Head of state. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 The presidential election ( Reichspräsidentenwahl) of 1932 was the second and final direct election to the office of President of the Reich ( Reichspräsident Though Hitler had left Austria in 1913, he still had not acquired German citizenship and hence could not run for public office. In February, however, the state government of Brunswick, in which the Nazi Party participated, appointed Hitler to a minor administrative post and also made him a citizen of Brunswick on 25 February 1932. Brunswick-Lüneburg (Braunschweig-Lüneburg also Brunswick-Lunenburg was a historical ducal state during the period from the Late Middle Ages through the Events 138 - The Emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius, effectively making him his successor Year 1932 ( MCMXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ^[44] In those days, the states conferred citizenship, so this automatically made Hitler a citizen of Germany and thus eligible to run for president.

The new German citizen ran against Hindenburg, who was supported by a broad range of reactionary nationalist, monarchist, Catholic, republican and even social democratic parties. Republicanism is the Ideology of governing a nation as a Republic, with an emphasis on Liberty, Rule of law, Popular sovereignty Also in the field was a Communist candidate and a member of a fringe right-wing party. The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 Hitler's campaign was called "Hitler über Deutschland" (Hitler over Germany). ^[45] The name had a double meaning; besides a reference to his dictatorial ambitions, it also referred to the fact that he campaigned by aircraft. ^[45] This was a brand new political tactic that allowed Hitler to speak in two cities in one day, which was practically unheard of at the time. Hitler came in second on both rounds, attaining more than 35% of the vote during the second one in April. Although he lost to Hindenburg, the election established Hitler as a realistic alternative in German politics.

Cabinets of Papen and Schleicher

Hindenburg, influenced by the Camarilla, became increasingly estranged from Brüning and pushed his Chancellor to move the government in a decidedly authoritarian and right-wing direction. A camarilla is a group of courtiers or favourites which surround a king or ruler This culminated, in May 1932, with the resignation of the Brüning cabinet.

Hindenburg appointed the nobleman Franz von Papen as chancellor, heading a "Cabinet of Barons". (29 October 1879 2 May 1969 was a German nobleman Catholic monarchist Politician, General Staff officer and Diplomat Papen was bent on authoritarian rule and, since in the Reichstag only the conservative German National People's Party (DNVP) supported his administration, he immediately called for new elections in July. The German National People's Party (Deutschnationale Volkspartei DNVP was a national-conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic In these elections, the Nazis achieved their biggest success yet and won 230 seats, becoming the largest party in the Reichstag.

Knowing that it was not possible to form a stable government without Nazi support, Papen tried to persuade Hitler to become vice chancellor and enter a new government with a parliamentary basis. Hitler, however, would settle for nothing less than the chancellorship. He put further pressure on Papen by entertaining parallel negotiations with the Centre Party, Papen's former party, which was bent on bringing down the renegade Papen. In both negotiations, Hitler demanded that he, as leader of the strongest party, must be chancellor, but Hindenburg consistently refused to appoint the "Bohemian lance corporal" to the chancellorship.

After a vote of no-confidence in the Papen government, supported by 84% of the deputies, the new Reichstag was dissolved, and new elections were called in November. A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion This time, the Nazis lost some seats but still remained the largest party in the Reichstag.

After Papen failed to secure a majority, he proposed to dissolve the parliament again along with an indefinite postponement of elections. Hindenburg at first accepted this, but after General Kurt von Schleicher and the military withdrew their support, Hindenburg instead dismissed Papen and appointed Schleicher, who promised he could secure a majority government by negotiations with both the Social Democrats, the trade unions, and dissidents from the Nazi Party under Gregor Strasser. In January 1933, however, Schleicher had to admit failure in these efforts and asked Hindenburg for emergency powers along with the same postponement of elections that he had opposed earlier, to which the president reacted by dismissing Schleicher.

Appointment as Chancellor

Meanwhile, Papen tried to get his revenge on Schleicher by working toward the General's downfall, through forming an intrigue with the camarilla and Alfred Hugenberg, media mogul and chairman of the DNVP. Alfred Hugenberg (19 June 1865 - 12 March 1951 was an influential German Businessman and Politician. Also involved were Hjalmar Schacht, Fritz Thyssen and other leading German businessmen. Dr Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht (22 January 1877 – 3 June 1970 was the Currency Commissioner and President of the Reichsbank under the Weimar Republic, and President Friedrich "Fritz" Thyssen ( November 9, 1873, Mülheim an der Ruhr &ndash February 8, 1951, Martínez, San They financially supported the Nazi Party, which had been brought to the brink of bankruptcy by the cost of heavy campaigning. The businessmen also wrote letters to Hindenburg, urging him to appoint Hitler as leader of a government "independent from parliamentary parties" which could turn into a movement that would "enrapture millions of people. "^[46]

Finally, the president reluctantly agreed to appoint Hitler Chancellor of a coalition government formed by the NSDAP and DNVP. However, the Nazis were to be contained by a framework of conservative cabinet ministers, most notably by Papen as Vice-Chancellor and by Hugenberg as Minister of the Economy. The Vice-Chancellor of Germany ( Vizekanzler) in Germany is the second highest position in the cabinet at least according to the protocol The only other Nazi besides Hitler to get a portfolio was Wilhelm Frick, who was given the relatively powerless interior ministry (in Germany at the time, most powers wielded by the interior minister in other countries were held by the interior ministers of the states). Dr Wilhelm Frick (12 March 1877 16 October 1946 was a prominent Nazi official serving as Minister of the Interior of the Third Reich. As a concession to the Nazis, Göring was named minister without portfolio. A Minister without Portfolio is either a Government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry. While Papen intended to use Hitler as a figurehead, the Nazis gained key positions. For instance, as part of the deal in which Hitler became chancellor, Göring was named interior minister of Prussia—giving him command of the largest police force in Germany. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state

On the morning of 30 January 1933, in Hindenburg's office, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor during what some observers later described as a brief and simple ceremony. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Nazis' seizure of power subsequently became known as the Machtergreifung. Machtergreifung ( is a German word meaning "seizure of power" Hitler established the Reichssicherheitsdienst as his personal bodyguards. The Reichssicherheitsdienst ( RSD) was an SS Security force of Nazi Germany.

Reichstag fire and the March elections

Having become Chancellor, Hitler foiled all attempts to gain a majority in parliament and on that basis persuaded President Hindenburg to dissolve the Reichstag again. Elections were scheduled for early March, but on 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building was set on fire. Events 1560 - The Treaty of Berwick, which would expel the French from Scotland, is signed by England and the Congregation Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On 27 February 1933, the Reichstag building was subject to an arson attack and as a result seen as the pivotal event in the establishment of Nazi Germany ^[47] Since a Dutch independent communist was found in the building, the fire was blamed on a Communist plot to which the government reacted with the Reichstag Fire Decree of 28 February which suspended basic rights, including habeas corpus. Marinus (Rinus van der Lubbe ( 13 January, 1909 – 10 January, 1934) was a Dutch council communist accused of and eventually The Reichstag Fire Decree (Reichstagsbrandverordnung is the common name of the Order of the Reich President for the Protection of People and State issued by German president Events 202 BC - coronation ceremony of Liu Bang as Emperor Gaozu of Han takes place initiating four centuries of the Han Dynasty 's rule Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief Under the provisions of this decree, the German Communist Party (KPD) and other groups were suppressed, and communist functionaries and deputies were arrested, put to flight, or murdered. The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918

Campaigning continued, with the Nazis making use of paramilitary violence, anti-Communist hysteria, and the government's resources for propaganda. On election day, 6 March, the NSDAP increased its result to 43. Events 1079 - Omar Khayyám completes the Iranian calendar. 1454 - Thirteen Years' War: Delegates of 9% of the vote, remaining the largest party, but its victory was marred by its failure to secure an absolute majority, necessitating maintaining a coalition with the DNVP. ^[48]

Parade of SA troops past Hitler. Nuremberg, November 1935.

"Day of Potsdam" and the Enabling Act

On 21 March the new Reichstag was constituted with an opening ceremony held at Potsdam's garrison church. Events 630 - Byzantine emperor Heraclius restores the True Cross to Jerusalem. This "Day of Potsdam" was staged to demonstrate reconciliation and union between the revolutionary Nazi movement and "Old Prussia" with its elites and virtues. Hitler appeared in a tail coat and humbly greeted the aged President Hindenburg.

Because of the Nazis' failure to obtain a majority on their own, Hitler's government confronted the newly elected Reichstag with the Enabling Act that would have vested the cabinet with legislative powers for a period of four years. The Enabling Act ( in German) was passed by the Reichstag ( Germany 's parliament on March 23, 1933 and signed A legislature is a type of representative Deliberative assembly with the power to create amend and change Laws The law created by a legislature is called Legislation Though such a bill was not unprecedented, this act was different since it allowed for deviations from the constitution. Since the bill required a two-thirds majority in order to pass, the government needed the support of other parties. The position of the Centre Party, the third largest party in the Reichstag, turned out to be decisive: under the leadership of Ludwig Kaas, the party decided to vote for the Enabling Act. Prelate Ludwig Kaas ( 23 May 1881 &ndash 15 April 1952) was a Roman Catholic priest, and a prominent German It did so in return for the government's oral guarantees regarding the Church's liberty, the concordats signed by German states and the continued existence of the Centre Party.

On 23 March the Reichstag assembled in a replacement building under extremely turbulent circumstances. Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Some SA men served as guards within while large groups outside the building shouted slogans and threats toward the arriving deputies. Kaas announced that the Centre Party would support the bill with "concerns put aside," while Social Democrat Otto Wels denounced the act in his speech. Otto Wels ( September 15 1873 &ndash September 16 1939) was the chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD from 1919 At the end of the day, all parties except the Social Democrats voted in favour of the bill. Deputies of the Communist Party were unable to vote, having already been arrested by the Nazis. The Enabling Act was dutifully renewed by the Reichstag every four years, even through World War II.

Removal of remaining limits

With this combination of legislative and executive power, Hitler's government further suppressed the remaining political opposition. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. In Politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the Government, party or group The Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD) were banned, while all other political parties dissolved themselves. The Communist Party of Germany ( German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands &ndash KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 Labour unions were merged with employers' federations into an organisation under Nazi control, and the autonomy of German state governments was abolished. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming

Hitler also used the SA paramilitary to push Hugenberg into resigning and proceeded to politically isolate Vice Chancellor Papen. Because the SA's demands for political and military power caused much anxiety among military leaders, Hitler used allegations of a plot by the SA leader Ernst Röhm to purge the SA's leadership during the Night of the Long Knives. Ernst Julius Röhm, (Munich November 28, 1887 – July 2, 1934) was a German military officer and later the commander and co-founder The Night of the Long Knives (German) or " Operation Hummingbird " was a Purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July Opponents unconnected with the SA were also murdered, notably Gregor Strasser and former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher. Gregor Strasser (also Straßer, see ß) ( May 31, 1892 &ndash June 30, 1934) was a Politician of the German ^[49]

President Paul von Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Rather than holding new presidential elections, Hitler's cabinet passed a law proclaiming the presidency dormant and transferred the role and powers of the head of state to Hitler as Führer und Reichskanzler (leader and chancellor). ^[50] Thereby Hitler also became supreme commander of the military, whose officers then swore an oath not to the state or the constitution but to Hitler personally. ^[50] In a mid-August plebiscite, these acts found the approval of 84. 6%^[51] of the electorate. Combining the highest offices in state, military and party in his hand, Hitler had attained supreme rule that could no longer be legally challenged.

In 1938, Hitler forced the resignation of his War Minister (formerly Defense Minister), Werner von Blomberg, after evidence surfaced that Blomberg's new wife had a criminal past. Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 - 14 March 1946 was a leading member of the German Army until January 1938 Hitler replaced the Ministry of War with the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (High Command of the Armed Forces, or OKW), headed by General Wilhelm Keitel. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) More importantly, Hitler announced he was assuming personal command of the armed forces. He took over Blomberg's other old post, that of Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, for himself. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces He was already Supreme Commander by virtue of holding the powers of the President. The next day, the newspapers announced, "Strongest concentration of powers in Führer's hands!" Many experts believe that it was at this point that Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany.

Third Reich

Main article: Nazi Germany

Having secured supreme political power, Hitler went on to gain their support by convincing most Germans he was their savior from the economic Depression, communism, the "Judeo-Bolsheviks," and the Versailles Treaty, along with other "undesirable" minorities. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers Jewish Bolshevism, Judeo-Bolshevism, Judeo-Communism, or in Polish Żydokomuna, is a Pejorative Antisemitic expression The Nazis eliminated opposition through a process known as Gleichschaltung. Gleichschaltung, meaning "coordination" "making the same" "bringing into line" is a Nazi term for the process by which the

Economy and culture

Hitler oversaw one of the greatest expansions of industrial production and civil improvement Germany had ever seen, mostly based on debt flotation and expansion of the military. Nazi policies toward women strongly encouraged them to stay at home to bear children and keep house. In a September 1934 speech to the National Socialist Women's Organization, Adolf Hitler argued that for the German woman her "world is her husband, her family, her children, and her home. " This policy was reinforced by bestowing the Cross of Honor of the German Mother on women bearing four or more babies. The unemployment rate was cut substantially, mostly through arms production and sending women home so that men could take their jobs. Given this, claims that the German economy achieved near full employment are at least partly artifacts of propaganda from the era. Germany is one of the world's most advanced market economies. In Macroeconomics, full employment is when all people looking for employment can find a job Much of the financing for Hitler's reconstruction and rearmament came from currency manipulation by Hjalmar Schacht, including the clouded credits through the Mefo bills. Dr Hjalmar Horace Greeley Schacht (22 January 1877 – 3 June 1970 was the Currency Commissioner and President of the Reichsbank under the Weimar Republic, and President Mefo bill refers to a credit note that was issued by the Government of Nazi Germany, from 1934 on under the guise of a company named "Metallurgische Forschung" The negative effects of this inflation were offset in later years by the acquisition of foreign gold from the treasuries of conquered nations.

Hitler also oversaw one of the largest infrastructure-improvement campaigns in German history, with the construction of dozens of dams, autobahns, railroads, and other civil works. (German ˈaʊtoːbaːn plural Autobahnen; English /ˈɔːtəʊbɑːn/ is the German word for a major high- Speed Road restricted to motor Hitler's policies emphasised the importance of family life: men were the "breadwinners", while women's priorities were to lie in bringing up children and in household work. This revitalising of industry and infrastructure came at the expense of the overall standard of living, at least for those not affected by the chronic unemployment of the later Weimar Republic, since wages were slightly reduced in pre–World War II years, despite a 25% increase in the cost of living. ^[52] Laborers and farmers, the traditional voters of the NSDAP, however, saw an increase in their standard of living.

Hitler's government sponsored architecture on an immense scale, with Albert Speer becoming famous as the first architect of the Reich. Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World While important as an architect in implementing Hitler's classicist reinterpretation of German culture, Speer proved much more effective as armaments minister during the last years of World War II. In 1936, Berlin hosted the summer Olympic games, which were opened by Hitler and choreographed to demonstrate Aryan superiority over all other races, achieving mixed results. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin See also, Choreography (literally "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" (circular dance see chorea) and "γραφή" Olympia, the movie about the games and other documentary propaganda films for the German Nazi Party were directed by Hitler's personal filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl. Olympia is a 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl ( August 22 1902 – September 8 2003) was a German Film director

Although Hitler made plans for a Breitspurbahn (broad gauge railroad network), they were preempted by World War II. The Breitspurbahn (IPA braɪtʃpurban translation broad trackway) was a planned broad-gauge Railroad, a personal pet project of Adolf Hitler during Broad gauge Railways use a Rail gauge (distance between the rails greater than the Standard gauge of. Had the railroad been built, its gauge would have been three metres, even wider than the old Great Western Railway of Britain. The Great Western Railway ( GWR) was a British railway company and a notable example of Civil engineering, linking London with the West

Hitler contributed slightly to the design of the car that later became the Volkswagen Beetle and charged Ferdinand Porsche with its design and construction. The Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the type 1 and originally called ‘Käfer’ is an Economy car produced by the German auto maker Volkswagen Prof Dr Ing hc Ferdinand Porsche ( ^[53] Production was also deferred because of the war.

Hitler considered Sparta to be the first National Socialist state, and praised its early eugenics treatment of deformed children. The city of Sparta ( Doric Σπάρτα Attic Σπάρτη Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention ^[54]

He awarded the Order of the German Eagle, the Third Reich's highest distinction, to the industrialist Emil Kirdorf in April 1937, in reward for his financial support during his rise to power. The Order of the German Eagle (Verdienstorden vom Deutschen Adler was instituted in 1 May 1937 by Adolf Hitler. Emil Kirdorf ( 8 April 1847, Mettmann near Duesseldorf - 13 July 1938, Mülheim) was a German The next year, he organized state funerals for him.

Rearmament and new alliances

Main articles: Axis Powers and Tripartite Treaty

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini during Hitler's visit to Venice from 14–16 June 1934. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries The Tripartite Treaty (1906 also refers to a 1906 treaty concerning the Nile river (see Hydropolitics in the Nile Basin. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the

Although a secret German armaments program had been on-going since 1919, it was only in March 1934 when Hitler publicly announced that the German army would be expanded to 600 000 men (six times the number stipulated in the Treaty of Versailles), as well as introducing an Air Force (Luftwaffe) and increasing the size of the Navy (Kriegsmarine). Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the Britain, France and Italy, as well as the League of Nations quickly condemned these actions. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 However, after re-assurances from Hitler that Germany was only interested in peace, no country took any action to stop this development and German re-armament was allowed to continue. Furthermore, Britain did not share France's pessimistic view of Germany, and in 1935 it signed a naval agreement with Germany which allowed for increasing the German tonnage up to 35% of the British navy. This agreement was made without consulting either France or Italy, and directly undermined the League of Nations and put the Treaty of Versailles on the path towards irrelevance. ^[55]

In March 1936, Hitler again violated the treaty by reoccupying the demilitarized zone in the Rhineland. The Remilitarization of the Rhineland by the German Army took place on 7 March 1936 when German forces entered the Rhineland. The Rhineland ( Rheinland in German) is the general name for the land on both sides of the river Rhine in the west of Germany. When Britain and France did nothing, he grew bolder. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In July 1936, the Spanish Civil War began when the military, led by General Francisco Franco, rebelled against the elected Popular Front government. The Spanish Civil War was a major conflict in Spain that started after an attempted Coup d'état committed by parts of the army against the government of Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco y Bahamonde (born December 4, 1892 in Ferrol, died November 20, 1975 in Madrid The Popular Front (Frente Popular in Spain 's Second Republic was an electoral Coalition and pact signed in January 1936 by various After receiving an appeal for help from General Franco in July 1936, Hitler sent troops to support Franco, and Spain served as a testing ground for Germany's new forces and their methods, including the bombing of undefended towns such as Guernica in April 1937, prompting Pablo Picasso's famous eponymous Guernica painting. The bombing of Guernica ( April 26, 1937) was an aerial attack on the Basque town of Guernica, causing widespread destruction and Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Martyr Patricio Clito Ruíz y Picasso (October 25 1881 &ndash April 8 1973 Guernica is a monumental Painting by Pablo Picasso, depicting the Nazi German Bombing of Guernica, Spain by twenty-eight

An Axis was declared between Germany and Italy by Count Galeazzo Ciano, foreign minister of Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini on 25 October 1936. Gian Galeazzo Ciano Count of Cortellazzo and Buccari ( March 18, 1903 – January 11, 1944) was Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On 25 November of the same year, Germany concluded the Anti-Comintern Pact with Japan. The Anti-Comintern Pact was concluded between Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan (later to be joined by other countries on November 25, 1936 To strengthen relationship with this nation, Hitler met in 1937 in Nuremberg prince Chichibu, a brother of emperor Hirohito. Background and Family Born at Aoyama Detached Palace in Tokyo, the second son of Crown Prince Yoshihito (later Emperor Taishō) and Crown Princess also known as, (April 29 1901 – January 7 1989 was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order reigning from December 25 1926 until his death

The Tripartite Treaty was then signed by Saburo Kurusu of Imperial Japan, Hitler, and Ciano on 27 September 1940. The Tripartite Treaty (1906 also refers to a 1906 treaty concerning the Nile river (see Hydropolitics in the Nile Basin. was a Japanese career Diplomat. He is remembered now as an envoy who negotiated peace with the United States while Japan was secretly preparing the attack on Pearl Harbor The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku Events 489 - Odoacer attacks Theodoric at the Battle of Verona and is defeated again Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. It was later expanded to include Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian They were collectively known as the Axis Powers. The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries Then on 5 November 1937, at the Reich Chancellory, Adolf Hitler held a secret meeting with the War and Foreign Ministers plus the three service chiefs, recorded in the Hossbach Memorandum and stated his plans for acquiring "living space" (Lebensraum) for the German people. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Reich Chancellery ( German Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the German Chancellor The Hossbach Memorandum was the summary of a meeting on November 5 1937 between German dictator Adolf Hitler and his military and foreign policy leadership ( German for " habitat " or literally "living space" served as a major motivation for Nazi Germany 's territorial aggression He also ordered them to make plans for war in the east no later than 1943 in order to acquire Lebensraum. Year 1943 ( MCMXLIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The Holocaust

Main article: The Holocaust

One of the foundations of Hitler's social policies was the concept of racial hygiene. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as Racial hygiene (often labeled a form of " Scientific racism " is the selection by a government of the putatively most physical intellectual and moral persons to raise It was based on the ideas of Arthur de Gobineau, a French count, eugenics, and social Darwinism. Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau ( July 14, 1816 — October 13, 1882) was a French Aristocrat, novelist and man of Eugenics is a social Philosophy which advocates the improvement of Human Hereditary traits through various forms of intervention Social Darwinism is a theory that competition among all individuals groups nations or ideas drives Social evolution in human societies Applied to human beings, "survival of the fittest" was interpreted as requiring racial purity and killing off "life unworthy of life. "Survival of the fittest" is a Phrase which is shorthand for a concept relating to competition for survival or predominance " The first victims were children with physical and developmental disabilities; those killings occurred in a program dubbed Action T4. Action T4 (Aktion T4 was a program in Nazi Germany spanning October 1939 until August 1941 during which physicians killed 70273 peoplespecified in Hitler's ^[56] After a public outcry, Hitler made a show of ending this program, but the killings in fact continued (see Nazi eugenics). Nazi eugenics were Nazi Germany 's race-based social policies that placed the improvement of the race through Eugenics at the center of their

Between 1939 and 1945, the SS, assisted by collaborationist governments and recruits from occupied countries, systematically killed somewhere between 11 and 14 million people, including about six million Jews,^[57][58] in concentration camps, ghettos and mass executions, or through less systematic methods elsewhere. The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Collaborationism, can describe the Treason of cooperating with enemy Forces occupying one's Country. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people commonly in large groups without trial A ghetto is described as a "portion of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social legal or economic pressure Besides being gassed to death, many also died as a result of starvation and disease while working as slave labourers (sometimes benefiting private German companies). As a social-economic system slavery is a legal institution under which a Person (called "a slave" is compelled to work for another Along with Jews, non-Jewish Poles (over three million casualties), alleged communists or political opposition, members of resistance groups, Catholic and Protestant opponents, homosexuals, Roma, the physically handicapped and mentally retarded, Soviet prisoners of war (possibly as many as three million), Jehovah's Witnesses, anti-Nazi clergy, trade unionists, and psychiatric patients were killed. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 See also Jehovah's Witnesses and governments Throughout the history of Jehovah's Witnesses, their beliefs doctrines and practices have engendered Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Psychiatry is a medical specialty which exists to study, prevent, and treat Mental disorders in Humans Psychiatric One of the biggest centres of mass-killing was the extermination camp complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Extermination camps were two types of facilities that Nazi Germany built during World War II for the systematic killing of millions of people in what has become "Auschwitz" redirects here For the town see Oświęcim Auschwitz-Birkenau () was the largest of Nazi Germany Hitler never visited the concentration camps and did not speak publicly about the killing in precise terms.

The Holocaust (the Endlösung der jüdischen Frage or "Final Solution of the Jewish Question") was planned and ordered by leading Nazis, with Heinrich Himmler playing a key role. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The Final Solution ( Die Endlösung) was Nazi Germany 's plan and execution of its systematic Genocide against European Jewry during World Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. While no specific order from Hitler authorizing the mass killing has surfaced, there is documentation showing that he approved the Einsatzgruppen, killing squads that followed the German army through Poland and Russia, and that he was kept well informed about their activities. Einsatzgruppen ( German: "task forces" "intervention groups" were Paramilitary groups formed by Heinrich Himmler and The evidence also suggests that in the fall of 1941 Himmler and Hitler decided upon mass extermination by gassing. During interrogations by Soviet intelligence officers declassified over fifty years later, Hitler's valet Heinz Linge and his military aide Otto Gunsche said Hitler had "pored over the first blueprints of gas chambers. An intelligence officer is a person employed by an organisation to collect compile and analyse information (known as intelligence) which is of use to that organisation Heinz Linge ( 23 March 1913 – 9 March 1980 was a Valet at German dictator Adolf Hitler 's headquarters A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing consisting of a sealed chamber into which a Poisonous or Asphyxiant gas is introduced " Also his private secretary, Traudl Junge, testified that Hitler knew all about the death camps.

To make for smoother cooperation in the implementation of this "Final Solution", the Wannsee conference was held near Berlin on 20 January 1942, with fifteen senior officials participating, led by Reinhard Heydrich and Adolf Eichmann. The Wannsee Conference was a Meeting of senior officials of the Nazi German regime held in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee on Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Reinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich ( 7 March 1904 &ndash 4 June 1942) was an SS - Obergruppenführer, chief The records of this meeting provide the clearest evidence of planning for the Holocaust. On 22 February, Hitler was recorded saying to his associates, "we shall regain our health only by eliminating the Jews". Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne

World War II

Main article: World War II

Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Munich, 1940

Early triumphs

In March 1938 Hitler pressured Austria into unification with Germany (the Anschluss) and made a triumphant entry into Vienna on 14 March. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Events 1489 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. ^[59][60] Next, he intensified a crisis over the German-speaking Sudetenland districts of Czechoslovakia. Sudetenland ( Czech and Polish: Sudety) is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the western regions of Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. ^[61] This led to the Munich Agreement of September 1938, which gave these districts to Germany. The Munich Agreement (Mnichovská dohoda Mníchovská dohoda Münchner Abkommen Accords de Munich was an agreement regarding the Sudetenland, which were areas along borders ^[62] As a result of the summit, Hitler was TIME magazine's Man of the Year for 1938. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Person of the Year (formerly Man of the Year) is an annual issue of the United States Newsmagazine Time that features and profiles ^[63] British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain hailed this agreement as "peace in our time", but by appeasing Hitler, Britain and France left Czechoslovakia to Hitler's mercy. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 &ndash 9 November 1940 was a British Conservative Politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ^[62] Hitler ordered Germany's army to enter Prague on 15 March 1939, and from Prague Castle proclaimed Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate. Prague (ˈprɑːg Praha (ˈpraɦa see also other names) is the Capital and Largest city of the Czech Republic. Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Prague Castle (Pražský hrad is a Castle in Prague where the Czech kings Holy Roman Emperors and presidents of Czechoslovakia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (Reichsprotektorat Böhmen und Mähren Protektorát Čechy a Morava was the majority ethnic-Czech Protectorate which

Hitler then claimed the Free City of Danzig and the Polish Corridor which Germany had unwillingly ceded under the Versailles Treaty. The Free City of Danzig ( German: Freie Stadt Danzig; Polish: Wolne Miasto Gdańsk) was an autonomous Baltic Sea port and Background Giving Poland access to the sea was one of the guarantees proposed by the United States President Woodrow Wilson in his Fourteen Britain was unable to reach an agreement with the Soviet Union for an alliance against Germany, and, on 23 August 1939, Hitler concluded a secret non-aggression pact (the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) with Joseph Stalin, agreeing to partition Poland. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 79 - Mount Vesuvius begins stirring on the feast day of Vulcan the Roman god of fire Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. See also Non-aggression Pact (band A non-aggression pact is an international Treaty between two or more states agreeing to avoid war Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party On 1 September Germany invaded western Poland. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Britain and France declared war on Germany on 3 September but did not immediately act. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Not long after this, on 17 September, Soviet forces invaded eastern Poland^[64]

Adolf Hitler in Paris, 1940, with Albert Speer (left) and Arno Breker (right)

After the fall of Poland came a period journalists called the "Phoney War". Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World Arno Breker ( July 19, 1900 &ndash February 13, 1991) was a German sculptor best known for his public works in Nazi Germany, which The Phoney War, also called the Twilight War by Winston Churchill, der Sitzkrieg in German ("the sitting war" a During this period, Hitler built up his forces on Germany's western frontier. In April 1940, German forces invaded Denmark and Norway. The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional In May 1940, Hitler's forces attacked France, conquering the Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium in the process. Luxembourg (Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg Grand-Duché de Luxembourg Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small Landlocked country in Western Europe, bordered by The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those France surrendered on 22 June 1940. Surrender is when Soldiers, nations or other combatants stop fighting and become Prisoners of war, either as Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. These victories persuaded Benito Mussolini of Italy to join the war on Hitler's side on 10 June 1940. Events 1190 - Third Crusade: Frederick I Barbarossa drowns in the Sally River while leading an army to Jerusalem Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Britain, whose forces evacuated France by sea from Dunkirk, continued to fight alongside other British dominions in the Battle of the Atlantic. Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque, dœ̃kɛʀk or; Dutch:; is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous Military campaign of World War II, (though some say it was a series of naval Military campaigns After having his overtures for peace rejected by the British, now led by Winston Churchill, Hitler ordered bombing raids on the British Isles. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC, PC (Can ( 30 November 1874 Strategic bombing is a Military strategy used in a Total war with the goal of defeating an enemy nation-state by destroying its economic ability to wage war rather The British Isles (Irish variously Na hOileáin Bhriotanacha, Oileáin Iarthair Eorpa, Éire agus an Bhreatain Mhór; Ellanyn Goaldagh Eileanan The Battle of Britain was Hitler's prelude to a planned invasion. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and The attacks began by pounding Royal Air Force airbases and radar stations protecting South-East England. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships However, the Luftwaffe failed to defeat the Royal Air Force. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. By the end of October 1940, air superiority for the invasion Operation Sealion could not be assured, and Hitler ordered the bombing of British cities, including London, Plymouth, and Coventry, mostly at night. Operation Sealion (Unternehmen Seelöwe was Germany's plan to invade the United Kingdom during World War II, beginning in 1940 London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Plymouth ( is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England about south west of London. Coventry ( is a city and Metropolitan borough in the County of West Midlands in England.

Path to defeat

On 22 June 1941, three million German troops attacked the Soviet Union, breaking the non-aggression pact Hitler had concluded with Stalin two years earlier. Events 217 BC - Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This invasion, Operation Barbarossa, seized huge amounts of territory, including the Baltic states, Belarus, and Ukraine. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II Baltic Seven Islandsgif|right|thumb|330px|A contemporary transnational Euroregion encompasses the islands of the Baltic countries Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. It also encircled and destroyed many Soviet forces, which Stalin had ordered not to retreat. However, the Germans were stopped barely short of Moscow in December 1941 by the Russian winter and fierce Soviet resistance. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of The Russian (or Soviet) Winter is a common excuse for military failures of invaders in Russia The Battle of Moscow (Битва под Москвой Romanized: Bitva pod Moskvoy, Schlacht um Moskau is the name given by the Soviet historians to the two The invasion failed to achieve the quick triumph Hitler wanted.

Hitler's declaration of war against the United States on 11 December 1941, four days after the Empire of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and six days after Nazi Germany's closest approach to Moscow, set him against a coalition that included the world's largest empire (the British Empire), the world's greatest industrial and financial power (the United States), and the world's largest army (the Soviet Union). The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Empire of Japan ( {{unicode|Kyūjitai}}: ja 大日本帝國 Shinjitai: ja 大日本帝国 pronounced Dai Nippon Teikoku The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.

Hitler, Mannerheim and Ryti in Finland in 1942

In late 1942, German forces were defeated in the second battle of El Alamein, thwarting Hitler's plans to seize the Suez Canal and the Middle East. Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim ( IPA: ˡkɑːrl ˡɡɵstɑf ˡeːmil ˡmɑnːərhe͡im ( June 4, 1867 &ndash January 27, 1951 Risto Heikki Ryti ( February 3, 1889 - October 25, 1956) was the President of Finland from 1940 to 1944 Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II. The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. In February 1943, the titanic Battle of Stalingrad ended with the destruction of the German 6th Army. The Battle of Stalingrad is a commonly used name in English sources for several large operations by Germany and its allies and Soviet forces conducted with the The 6th Army was a German Field army which saw action in World War I and World War II. Thereafter came the gigantic Battle of Kursk. The Battle of Kursk (Курская битва refers to a series of German and Soviet operations on the Eastern Front of World War II Hitler's military judgment became increasingly erratic, and Germany's military and economic position deteriorated. Hitler's health was also deteriorating. His left hand trembled. The biographer Ian Kershaw and others believe that he may have suffered from Parkinson's disease. Sir Ian Kershaw (born April 29 1943 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a British Historian, noted for his Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the Central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's ^[65] Syphilis has also been suspected as a cause of at least some of his symptoms, although the evidence is slight. Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. ^[66]

Following the allied invasion of Sicily(Operation Husky) in 1943, Mussolini was deposed by Pietro Badoglio, who surrendered to the Allies. The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis Pietro Badoglio 1st Duke of Addis Abeba ( 28 September 1871 &ndash 1 November 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician Throughout 1943 and 1944, the Soviet Union steadily forced Hitler's armies into retreat along the Eastern Front. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign On 6 June 1944, the Western Allied armies landed in northern France in what was one of the largest amphibious operations in history, Operation Overlord. Events 1508 - Maximilian I Holy Roman Emperor, is defeated in Friulia by Venetian forces; he is forced to sign a three-year Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Overlord was the code name for the invasion of northwest Europe during World War II by Allied forces Realists in the German army knew defeat was inevitable, and some plotted to remove Hitler from power. In July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg planted a bomb in Hitler's Führer Headquarters, the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) at Rastenburg, but Hitler narrowly escaped death. Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ( 15 November 1907 &ndash 21 July 1944) was a German army officer The Führer Headquarters ( Führerhauptquartiere in German) abbreviated FHQ, is a common name for a number of official headquarters especially constructed Kętrzyn (Rastenburg former Rastembork is a Town in northeastern Poland with 28351 inhabitants (2004 He ordered savage reprisals, resulting in the executions of more than 4,900 people,^[67] sometimes by starvation in solitary confinement followed by slow strangulation. Starvation (also called inanition) is a severe reduction in Vitamin, Nutrient, and Energy intake and is the most extreme form of Solitary confinement, colloquially referred to in American English as "the hole" or "the pound" (or in British English "the block" is a Punishment The main resistance movement was destroyed, although smaller isolated groups continued to operate.

Defeat and death

Main article: Death of Adolf Hitler

By late 1944, the Red Army had driven the Germans back into Central Europe and the Western Allies were advancing into Germany. The generally accepted cause of the death of Adolf Hitler on Monday 30 April 1945 is Suicide by gunshot and Cyanide poisoning The Western Allies were the democracies and their colonial peoples within the broader coalition of Allies during World War II. Hitler realized that Germany had lost the war, but allowed no retreats. He hoped to negotiate a separate peace with America and Britain, a hope buoyed by the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on 12 April 1945. Events 467 - Anthemius is elevated to Emperor of the Western Roman Empire. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar ^{[68][69][70][71]} Hitler's stubbornness and defiance of military realities also allowed the Holocaust to continue. He also ordered the complete destruction of all German industrial infrastructure before it could fall into Allied hands, saying that Germany's failure to win the war forfeited its right to survive. ^[72] Rather, Hitler decided that the entire nation should go down with him. Execution of this scorched earth plan was entrusted to arms minister Albert Speer, who disobeyed the order. A scorched earth policy is a military strategy or operational method (possibly more often referred to as a tactic but this is not entirely correct as there is a difference between Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World ^[72]

In April 1945, Soviet forces attacked the outskirts of Berlin. Hitler's followers urged him to flee to the mountains of Bavaria to make a last stand in the National Redoubt. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 A national redoubt is a general term for an area to which the (remnant forces of a nation can be withdrawn if the main battle has been lost—or even beforehand if defeat is considered But Hitler was determined to either live or die in the capital.

20 April 1945. Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Hitler awards the Iron Cross to Hitler Youth outside his bunker. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia For the SS division with the nickname Hitlerjugend see 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend The Hitler Youth ( German:,

On 20 April Hitler celebrated his 56th birthday in the "Führer's shelter" (Führerbunker) below the Reich Chancellery (Reichskanzlei). Events 1303 - The University of Rome La Sapienza is instituted by Pope Boniface VIII. The Führerbunker ( German, literally meaning "shelter for the leader" or "the Führer's shelter" is a common name for a complex of subterranean rooms The Reich Chancellery ( German Reichskanzlei) was the traditional name of the office of the German Chancellor The garrison commander of the besieged "fortress Breslau" (Festung Breslau), General Hermann Niehoff, had chocolates distributed to his troops in honor of Hitler's birthday. The Battle of Breslau, also known as the Siege of Breslau, was a three month long Siege of the city of Breslau in Lower Silesia, Germany Hermann Niehoff was a German officer during World War II. He was born on 4 March 1897 and died in 1980 ^[73]

By 21 April, Georgi Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front had broken through the defenses of German General Gotthard Heinrici's Army Group Vistula during the Battle of the Seelow Heights. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) The 1st Belorussian Front (alternative spellings are 1st Byelorussian Front and 1st Belarusian Front) was a Front of the Gotthardt Heinrici ( December 25, 1886 – December 13, 1971) was a General in the German Army during World War Army Group Vistula ( Heeresgruppe Weichsel) was an Army Group of the Wehrmacht, formed on January 24[[ 945]] The Battle of the Seelow Heights (Schlacht um die "Seelower Höhen" was a part of the Seelow-Berlin Offensive Operation (16 April 1945 - 2 May 1945 one of The Soviets were now advancing towards Hitler's bunker with little to stop them. Ignoring the facts, Hitler saw salvation in the ragtag units commanded by General Felix Steiner. Felix Martin Julius Steiner ( 23 May 1896 – 12 May 1966) was a German Heer and Waffen-SS officer who served Steiner's command became known as "Army Detachment Steiner" (Armeeabteilung Steiner). Army Detachment Steiner ( Armeeabteilung Steiner) was a temporary military unit something more than a corps but less than an army created on paper by German dictator Adolf But "Army Detachment Steiner" existed primarily on paper. It was something more than a corps but less than an army. Hitler ordered Steiner to attack the northern flank of the huge salient created by the breakthrough of Zhukov's 1st Belorussian Front. Meanwhile, the German Ninth Army, which had been pushed south of the salient, was ordered to attack north in a pincer attack. The 9th Army (9 Armee was a World War II field army The 9th Army was activated on May 15, 1940 with General Johannes Blaskowitz in command The pincer movement or double envelopment is a basic element of Military strategy which has been used to some extent in many Wars and is considered

Late on 21 April, Heinrici called Hans Krebs chief of the Supreme Army Command (Oberkommando des Heeres or OKH) and told him that Hitler's plan could not be implemented. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) Hans Krebs may refer to Hans Krebs (general (1898-1945 German general officer during World War II Hans Krebs (National Socialist The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 Heinrici asked to speak to Hitler but was told by Krebs that Hitler was too busy to take his call.

On 22 April, during one of his last military conferences, Hitler interrupted the report to ask what had happened to General Steiner's offensive. Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. There was a long silence. Then Hitler was told that the attack had never been launched, and that the withdrawal from Berlin of several units for Steiner's army, on Hitler's orders, had so weakened the front that the Russians had broken through into Berlin. Hitler asked everyone except Wilhelm Keitel, Hans Krebs, Alfred Jodl, Wilhelm Burgdorf, and Martin Bormann to leave the room,^[74] and launched a tirade against the perceived treachery and incompetence of his commanders. Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) Hans Krebs may refer to Hans Krebs (general (1898-1945 German general officer during World War II Hans Krebs (National Socialist Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Wilhelm Burgdorf ( 14 February 1895 &ndash 2 May 1945) was a German officer Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945 This culminated in an oath to stay in Berlin, head up the defense of the city, and shoot himself at the end. ^[75]

Before the day ended, Hitler again found salvation in a new plan that included General Walther Wenck's Twelfth Army. Walther Wenck ( September 18, 1900 &ndash May 1, 1982) was the youngest General in the German Army during the Second ^[76] This new plan had Wenck turn his army—currently facing the Americans to the west—and attack towards the east to relieve Berlin. ^[76] Twelfth Army was to link up with Ninth Army and break through to the city. Wenck did attack and, in the confusion, managed to make temporary contact with the Potsdam garrison. But the link with the Ninth Army, like the plan in general, was ultimately unsuccessful. ^[77]

On 23 April Joseph Goebbels made the following proclamation to the people of Berlin:

Also on 23 April, second in command of the Third Reich and commander of the Luftwaffe Hermann Göring sent a telegram from Berchtesgaden in Bavaria. For the bombing campaign on Berlin by the RAF from November 1943 to March 1944 see Battle of Berlin (air. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Berchtesgaden (bɛʁçtəsˈgaːdən is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. Göring argued that, since Hitler was cut off in Berlin, he should assume leadership of Germany as Hitler's designated successor. Göring mentioned a time limit after which he would consider Hitler incapacitated. ^[78] Hitler responded, in anger, by having Göring arrested, and when he wrote his will on April 29, Göring was removed from all his positions in the government. Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. ^[78][79][80]

By the end of the day on 27 April Berlin was completely cut off from the rest of Germany. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated

On 28 April, Hitler discovered that SS leader Heinrich Himmler was trying to discuss surrender terms with the Allies (through the Swedish diplomat Count Folke Bernadotte)^[81] Hitler ordered Himmler's arrest and had Himmler's representative in Berlin Hermann Fegelein shot. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. SS- Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein ( 30 October 1906 –c ^[82][79]

During the night of 28 April, General Wenck reported that his Twelfth Army had been forced back along the entire front. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title Wenck noted that no further attacks towards Berlin were possible. General Alfred Jodl (Supreme Army Command) did not provide this information to Hans Krebs in Berlin until early in the morning of 30 April. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule

Cover of U. S. military newspaper The Stars and Stripes, May 1945

On 29 April, Hans Krebs, Wilhelm Burgdorf, Joseph Goebbels, and Martin Bormann witnessed and signed the last will and testament of Adolf Hitler. Stars and Stripes is the Newspaper published for the United States Armed Forces overseas Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945 The last will and testament of Adolf Hitler was dictated by Hitler to his secretary Traudl Junge in his Berlin Führerbunker on April 29 ^[79] Hitler dictated the document to his private secretary, Traudl Junge. Traudl Junge ( 16 March, 1920 &ndash 10 February, 2002) born Gertraud Humps, was Adolf Hitler 's youngest personal private ^[83] Hitler was also that day informed of the violent death of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini on 28 April, which is presumed to have increased his determination to avoid capture. Events 1192 - Assassination of Conrad of Montferrat (Conrad I King of Jerusalem, in Tyre, two days after his title ^[84]

On 30 April 1945, after intense street-to-street combat, when Soviet troops were within a block or two of the Reich Chancellory, Hitler committed suicide, shooting himself while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Urban warfare is modern warfare conducted in Urban areas such as Towns and cities. A cyanide is any Chemical compound that contains the cyano group (C≡N which consists of a Carbon Atom triple-bonded to a ^[85][86] Hitler's body and that of Eva Braun (his mistress whom he had married the day before) were put in a bomb crater,^[87][88] doused in gasoline by Otto Günsche and other Führerbunker aides, and set alight as the Red Army advanced and shelling continued. Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Anna Paula Hitler ( 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of Otto Günsche ( September 24, 1917 &ndash October 2, 2003) was a Sturmbannführer in the SS and was a member of Leibstandarte ^[85]

On 2 May, Berlin surrendered. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. There have been conflicting reports about what happened to Hitler's remains. According to Russian reports, they dug up the remains, which were reburied by SMERSH at their headquarters in Magdeburg. SMERSH (acronym of SMERt' SHpionam, Russ СМЕРть Шпионам Eng Death to Spies) were the counter-intelligence departments in Magdeburg ( Low Saxon: Meideborg ˈmaˑɪdebɔɐx the Capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany ^[89] In 1970, when the facility was to be turned over to the East German government, the remains were reportedly exhumed and cremated. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire ^[89] According to the Russian Federal Security Service, a fragment of human skull stored in its archives and displayed to the public in a 2000 exhibition came from the remains of Hitler's body and is all that remains of Hitler. The authenticity of the skull has been challenged by many historians and researchers. ^[89]

Legacy

Further information: Consequences of German Nazism and Neo-Nazism

Outside the building in Braunau am Inn, Austria where Adolf Hitler was born is a memorial stone warning of the horrors of World War II

Hitler, the Nazi Party and the results of Nazism are typically regarded as immoral. German Nazism and the acts of the Nazi German state profoundly affected many countries communities and peoples before during and after World War II. The term neo-Nazism refers to post- World War II Political movements Social movements and ideologies seeking to revive Nazism, Braunau am Inn is a City in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria ( Oberösterreich) the north-western state of Austria Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The house on Salzburger Vorstadt Braunau am Inn, Upper Austria, where Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 was returned to its owners in 1952 and was immediately rented Historians, philosophers, and politicians have often used the word evil in both a secular sense of the word and in a religious sense. Evil, in many cultures is used to describe acts or thoughts which are contrary to some particular religion Historical and cultural portrayals of Hitler in the west are overwhelmingly condemnatory. Adolf Hitler ( 20 April 1889 &ndash 30 April 1945) was the Führer of the National Socialist German Workers' Party The display of swastikas or other Nazi symbols is prohibited in Germany and Austria. The swastika (from Sanskrit: svástika sa स्वस्तिक Hindu IS CORRECT if 'ि' is positioned incorrectly see -->) is The twentieth century German Nazi Party was notable for its extensive use of graphic Symbolism, most notably the Hakenkreuz ( Swastika) which it used Holocaust denial is prohibited in both countries. Holocaust denial is the claim that the Genocide of Jews during World War II —usually referred to as The Holocaust —did not occur in the

Outside of Hitler's birthplace in Braunau am Inn, Austria is a stone marker engraved with the following message:

Für Frieden Freiheit

Und Demokratie

Nie wieder Faschismus

Millionen Tote mahnen

Loosely translated, it reads: "For Peace, Freedom and Democracy - Never Again Fascism - Remember the Millions Dead. "

However some people have referred to Hitler's legacy in neutral or favourable terms. Former Egyptian President Anwar Sadat spoke of his 'admiration' of Hitler in 1953, when he was a young man, though it is possible he was speaking in the context of a rebellion against the British Empire. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. ^[90] Louis Farrakhan has referred to him as a "very great man". Louis Farrakhan (born Louis Eugene Walcott, May 11, 1933) is the Supreme Minister of the Nation of Islam as the National Representative ^[91] Bal Thackeray, leader of the right-wing Hindu Shiv Sena party in the Indian state of the Maharashtra, declared in 1995 that he was an admirer of Hitler. Bal Keshav Thackeray (बाळ केशव ठाकरे (born January 23, 1926) popularly known as Balasaheb Thackeray is the founder and Shiv Sena ( Devanāgarī: शिव सेना Śīv Senā, meaning Army of Shiva, referring to Shivaji Bhosle) is a Political party India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Maharashtra ( Marathi: mahārāṣṭra, IPA) is a state located on the western coast of India. ^[92] Friedrich Meinecke, the German historian quotes of Hitler, "It is one of the great examples of the singular and incalculable power of personality in historical life". ^[93]

Religious beliefs

Main articles: Adolf Hitler's religious beliefs, Positive Christianity, and Nazi Mysticism

Hitler was raised by Roman Catholic parents, but after he left home, he never attended Mass or received the sacraments,^[94] Hitler often praised Christian heritage, German Christian culture, and professed a belief in Jesus Christ. Adolf Hitler 's religious beliefs have been a matter of dispute in part because of apparently inconsistent statements made by and attributed to him Positive Christianity ( German: Positives Christentum is a term adopted by Nazi leaders to refer to a model of Christianity consistent with Nazism This article describes speculative theories about Nazism Semi-religious developments within post-1945 Nazism are discussed under the term Neo-völkisch movements. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) ^[95] In his speeches and publications Hitler even spoke of Christianity as a central motivation for his antisemitism, stating that "As a Christian I have no duty to allow myself to be cheated, but I have the duty to be a fighter for truth and justice". Antisemitism (alternatively spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism; also rarely known as judeophobia) is the Prejudice against or hostility ^[96][97] His private statements, as reported by his intimates, are more mixed, showing Hitler as a religious man but critical of traditional Christianity. ^[98] However, in contrast to other Nazi leaders, Hitler did not adhere to esoteric ideas, occultism, or neo-paganism,^[98] and ridiculed such beliefs in Mein Kampf. The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine hidden secret referring to "knowledge of the hidden" Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical ^[99] Rather, Hitler advocated a "Positive Christianity",^[100] a belief system purged from what he objected to in traditional Christianity, and which reinvented Jesus as a fighter against the Jews. Positive Christianity ( German: Positives Christentum is a term adopted by Nazi leaders to refer to a model of Christianity consistent with Nazism Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

Hitler believed in Arthur de Gobineau's ideas of struggle for survival between the different races, among which the "Aryan race" — guided by "Providence" — was supposed to be the torchbearers of civilization. Joseph Arthur Comte de Gobineau ( July 14, 1816 — October 13, 1882) was a French Aristocrat, novelist and man of In Hitler's conception Jews were enemies of all civilization.

Hitler, despite his native Catholicism, favored aspects of Protestantism if they were more amenable to his own objectives. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. At the same time, he adopted some elements of the Catholic Church's hierarchical organization, liturgy and phraseology in his politics. ^[101][102]

Hitler expressed admiration for the Muslim military tradition. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion According to one confidant, Hitler stated in private, "The Mohammedan religion too would have been much more compatible to us than Christianity. Why did it have to be Christianity with its meekness and flabbiness. . . ". ^[103]

Health and sexuality

Health

Main articles: Adolf Hitler's medical health and Vegetarianism of Adolf Hitler

Hitler's health has long been the subject of debate. Adolf Hitler 's medical health has long been a subject of popular Controversy. Scholars agree that in addition to being a teetotaler and a non-smoker, Adolf Hitler practiced some form of Vegetarianism. He has variously been said to have suffered from irritable bowel syndrome, skin lesions, irregular heartbeat, Parkinson's disease,^[66] syphilis,^[66] and a strongly suggested addiction to methamphetamine. In Gastroenterology, irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS) is a Functional bowel disorder characterized by mild to severe Abdominal pain, discomfort Skin lesions are areas of discolored abnormal or diseased skin tissue Dysrhythmia redirects here For the American band see Dysrhythmia (band. Parkinson's disease (also known as Parkinson disease or PD) is a degenerative disorder of the Central nervous system that often impairs the sufferer's Syphilis is a Sexually transmitted disease caused by the spirochetal Bacterium Treponema pallidum pallidum. One film exists that shows his left hand trembling, which might suggest Parkinson's. ^[104] Another film, to which words have been added using lip-reading technology, shows him holding a magnifying glass to a map, saying "These new aerials. Automated Lip Reading (ALR is a software technology developed by Speech recognition expert Frank Hubner. . . ", then pausing and putting the map down, saying "Oh my arm. . . . "^[105][106] Beyond these accounts, however, the evidence is sparse.

After the early 1930s, Hitler generally followed a vegetarian diet, although he ate meat on occasion. Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea There are reports of him disgusting his guests by giving them graphic accounts of the slaughter of animals in an effort to make them shun meat. ^[107] A fear of cancer (from which his mother died) is the most widely cited reason, though many authors also assert Hitler had a profound and deep love of animals. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled Martin Bormann had a greenhouse constructed for him near the Berghof (near Berchtesgaden) to ensure a steady supply of fresh fruit and vegetables for Hitler throughout the war. Martin Ludwig Bormann (17 June 1900 – 2 May 1945 The Berghof was Adolf Hitler 's home in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Germany. Berchtesgaden (bɛʁçtəsˈgaːdən is a municipality in the German Bavarian Alps. Photographs of Bormann's children tending the greenhouse survive and, by 2005, its foundations were among the only ruins visible in the area that was associated with Nazi leaders.

Hitler was a non-smoker and promoted aggressive anti-smoking campaigns throughout Germany. He reportedly promised a gold watch to any of his close associates who quit (and gave a few away). Several witness accounts relate that, immediately after his suicide was confirmed, many officers, aides, and secretaries in the Führerbunker lit cigarettes. ^[108]

Sexuality

Main article: Adolf Hitler's sexuality

Hitler presented himself publicly as a man without a domestic life, dedicated entirely to his political mission. Adolf Hitler 's sexuality has been the subject of much speculation and controversy

He had a fiancée, Mimi Reiter in the 1920s, and later had a mistress, Eva Braun. Maria Reiter ( December 23 1911 - 1992 known as "Mimi" or "Mitzi" was Adolf Hitler 's fiancée in the late 1920s Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Anna Paula Hitler ( 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of He had a close bond with his half-niece Geli Raubal, which some commentators have claimed was sexual, though there is no evidence that proves this. Angelika Maria "Geli" Raubal ( June 4, 1908 &ndash September 19/18 1931 was Adolf Hitler 's Niece. ^[109] All three women attempted suicide (two succeeded), a fact that has led to speculation that Hitler may have had sexual fetishes, such as urolagnia, as was claimed by Otto Strasser, a political opponent of Hitler. Urolagnia (also urophilia, undinism) is a Sexual activity in which participants derive sexual pleasure from Urine and/or Urination Otto Johann Maximilian Strasser ( September 10 1897 – August 27 1974) was a German politician and ' Left-wing ' member of Reiter, the only one to survive the Nazi regime, denied this. ^[110] During the war and afterwards psychoanalysts offered numerous inconsistent psycho-sexual explanations of his pathology. Psychoanalysis is a body of ideas developed by Austrian physician Sigmund Freud and his followers which is devoted to the study of human psychological functioning and behavior ^[111] Some theorists have claimed that Hitler had a relationship with British fascist Unity Mitford. Unity Valkyrie Mitford ( 8 August, 1914 – 28 May, 1948) was one of the noted Mitford sisters. ^[112] More recently Lothar Machtan has argued in his book The Hidden Hitler that Hitler was homosexual, while others argue that he was largely asexual. Lothar Machtan PhD, (born 1949 is a German Historian, Author, and professor of Modern and Current History at University of Bremen. The Hidden Hitler is the English language title for the 2001 book Hitlers Geheimnis Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. Asexuality is a Sexual orientation that describes individuals who do not experience Sexual attraction.

Family

Main article: Hitler (disambiguation)

Paula Hitler, the last living member of Adolf Hitler's immediate family, died in 1960.

The most prominent and longest-living direct descendants of Adolf Hitler's father, Alois, was Adolf's nephew William Patrick Hitler. William Patrick Hitler (later Stuart-Houston) (born March 12, 1911 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United With his wife Phyllis, he eventually moved to Long Island, New York, and had four sons. Long Island is an island located in southeastern New York, USA, its western shores directly across from Manhattan, from which the island stretches New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous None of William Hitler's children have yet had any children of their own.

Over the years various investigative reporters have attempted to track down other distant relatives of the Führer; many are now alleged to be living inconspicuous lives and have long since changed their last name.

Adolf Hitler's genealogy

• Eva Braun, mistress and then wife
• Alois Hitler, father
• Klara Hitler, mother
• Paula Hitler, sister
• Alois Hitler, Jr., half-brother
• Bridget Dowling, sister-in-law
• William Patrick Hitler, nephew
• Heinz Hitler, nephew
• Angela Hitler Raubal, half-sister
• Maria Schicklgruber, grandmother
• Johann Georg Hiedler, presumed grandfather
• Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, maternal great-grandfather, presumed great uncle and possibly Hitler's true paternal grandfather
• Geli Raubal, niece
• Hermann Fegelein, brother-in-law through Hitler's marriage to Eva Braun

Hitler in media

Video of Adolf Hitler at Berchtesgaden

See also: Hitler in popular culture

Oratory and rallies

Main article: List of Adolf Hitler speeches

Hitler was a gifted orator who captivated many with his beating of the lectern and growling, emotional speech. Genealogy (from Greek: el γενεά el-Latn genea, "descent" and el λόγος el-Latn logos, "knowledge" is the study of Eva Anna Paula Braun, died Eva Anna Paula Hitler ( 6 February 1912 – 30 April 1945) was the longtime companion of Alois Hitler (born Alois Schicklgruber; 7 June 1837 – 3 January 1903 was the father of Adolf Hitler. Klara Hitler, born Klara Pölzl ( August 12, 1860 - December 21, 1907) was the mother of Adolf Hitler by her husband Paula Hitler ( January 21, 1896 – June 1, 1960) was the younger sister of Adolf Hitler, and the last child of Alois Hitler Alois Hitler Jr, born Alois Matzelsberger ( January 13, 1882 in Vienna &ndash May 20, 1956 in Hamburg Bridget Elizabeth Hitler nee Dowling (alternative Brigid) (born July 3,1891 – November 18, 1969) was Adolf Hitler 's sister-in-law William Patrick Hitler (later Stuart-Houston) (born March 12, 1911 in Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Heinrich Hitler (nickname Heinz) (born March 14 1920died 1942 was the son of Alois Hitler Jr Angela Franziska Johanna Hammitzsch (nee Hitler 28 July 1883 &ndash 30 October 1949) first married to Leo Raubal Maria Anna Schicklgruber ( 15 April, 1795 &ndash 7 January, 1847) was Adolf Hitler 's paternal grandmother Johann Georg Hiedler ( 28 September, 1792 &ndash 1857 was born to Martin Hiedler ( 17 November, 1762 &ndash 10 January, 1829 Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, also known as Johann Nepomuk Hüttler ( March 19, 1807 &ndash September 17, 1888) was a maternal great-grandfather Angelika Maria "Geli" Raubal ( June 4, 1908 &ndash September 19/18 1931 was Adolf Hitler 's Niece. SS- Obergruppenführer Hans Georg Otto Hermann Fegelein ( 30 October 1906 –c Adolf Hitler ( 20 April 1889 &ndash 30 April 1945) was the Führer of the National Socialist German Workers' Party He honed his skills by giving speeches to soldiers during 1919 and 1920. He became adept at telling people what they wanted to hear (the stab-in-the-back, the Jewish-Marxist plot to conquer the world, and the betrayal of Germany in the Versailles treaty) and identifying a scapegoat for their plight. Over time Hitler perfected his delivery by rehearsing in front of mirrors and carefully choreographing his display of emotions. He was coached by a self-styled clairvoyant who focused on hand and arm gestures. Munitions minister and architect Albert Speer, who may have known Hitler as well as anyone, said that Hitler was above all else an actor. Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World ^[113][114]

Massive Nazi rallies staged by Speer were designed to spark a process of self-persuasion for the participants. By participating in the rallies, by marching, by shouting heil, and by making the stiff armed salute, the participants strengthened their commitment to the Nazi movement. This process can be appreciated by watching Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, which presents the 1934 Nuremberg Rally. Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl ( August 22 1902 – September 8 2003) was a German Film director The Nuremberg Rally (officially Reichsparteitag, meaning national party convention was the annual rally of the NSDAP (Nazi Party in the years 1923 to 1938 in The camera shoots Hitler from on high and from below, but only twice head-on. These camera angles give Hitler a Christ-like aura. Some of the people in the film are paid actors, but most of the participants are not. Whether the film itself recruited new Nazis out of theater audiences is unknown. The process of self-persuasion may have affected Hitler. He gave the same speech (though it got smoother and smoother with repetition) hundreds of times first to soldiers and then to audiences in beer halls. These performances may have made his hatreds more intense, especially his all-consuming hatred of the Jews.

Hitler and Goebbels toned down their racism as Hitler gained electoral strength. In areas where anti-Semitism was strong, they used code words (railing against "Bolshevists" with most people understanding that he meant "Jews"), and they ignored anti-Semitism in areas where it was not already strong. Many Germans were, as they said, "Nazi, but. . . " meaning that they thought Hitler had abandoned his shrill racism.

Hitler and Baron Mannerheim

Recorded in private conversation

Hitler visited Finnish Field Marshal Mannerheim on 4 June 1942. Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim ( IPA: ˡkɑːrl ˡɡɵstɑf ˡeːmil ˡmɑnːərhe͡im ( June 4, 1867 &ndash January 27, 1951 For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Baron Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim ( IPA: ˡkɑːrl ˡɡɵstɑf ˡeːmil ˡmɑnːərhe͡im ( June 4, 1867 &ndash January 27, 1951 Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. During the visit an engineer of the Finnish broadcasting company YLE, Thor Damen, recorded Hitler and Mannerheim in conversation, something which had to be done secretly since Hitler never allowed recordings of him off-guard. YLE (Full name Finnish: Yleisradio Oy, Swedish: Rundradion Ab) is Finland 's national broadcasting company founded ^[115] Today the recording is the only known recording of Hitler not speaking in an official tone. The recording captures 11 and a half minutes of the two leaders in private conversation. ^[116] Hitler speaks in a slightly excited, but still intellectually detached manner during this talk (the speech has been compared to that of the working class). The majority of the recording is a monologue by Hitler. In the recording, Hitler admits to underestimating the Soviet Union's ability to conduct war (some English transcripts exist). ^[117]

'Patria' picture disc

Adolf Hitler even released a 7" picture disc with one of his speeches. The overwhelming majority of records manufactured have been of certain sizes (7 10 or 12 inches playback speeds (33⅓ 45 or 78 RPM and appearance (round black discs Known as the 'Patria' (Fatherland) picture disc, the obverse bears an image of Hitler giving a speech and has a recording of both a speech by Hitler and also Party Member Hans Hinkel. The reverse bears a hand holding a swastika flag and the Carl Woitschach recording (1933 - Telefunken A 1431) 'In Dem Kampf um die Heimat - Faschistenmarsch'.

Documentaries during the Third Reich

Hitler appeared in and was involved to varying degrees with a series of films by the pioneering filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl via Universum Film AG (UFA):

• Der Sieg des Glaubens (Victory of Faith, 1933). Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl ( August 22 1902 – September 8 2003) was a German Film director Universum Film AG, better known as Ufa or UFA, was the principal film studio in Germany, home of the German film industry during the Weimar Republic Der Sieg des Glaubens ( English: Victory of Faith) ( 1933) is the first documentary film directed by Leni Riefenstahl
• Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will, 1934), co-produced by Hitler. Triumph of the Will (Triumph des Willens is a propagandistic Documentary film by the German filmmaker
• Tag der Freiheit: Unsere Wehrmacht (Day of Freedom: Our Armed Forces, 1935). Tag der Freiheit Unsere Wehrmacht (Day of Freedom Our Armed Forces is the third documentary directed by Leni Riefenstahl.
• Olympia (1938). Olympia is a 1938 film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin

Hitler was the central figure of the first three films; they focused on the party rallies of the respective years and are considered propaganda films. The Nuremberg Rally (officially Reichsparteitag, meaning national party convention was the annual rally of the NSDAP (Nazi Party in the years 1923 to 1938 in Hitler also featured prominently in the Olympia film. Whether the latter is a propaganda film or a true documentary is still a subject of controversy, but it nonetheless perpetuated and spread the propagandistic message of the 1936 Olympic Games depicting Nazi Germany as a prosperous and peaceful country. ^[118] As a prominent politician, Hitler was also featured in many newsreels. A newsreel is a Documentary film that is regularly released in a public presentation place containing filmed News stories

Television

Hitler's attendance at various public functions, including the 1936 Olympic games and Nuremberg Rallies, appeared in live television broadcasts made between 1935 and 1939. The Nuremberg Rally (officially Reichsparteitag, meaning national party convention was the annual rally of the NSDAP (Nazi Party in the years 1923 to 1938 in These events, along with other programming highlighting activity by public officials, were often repeated in public viewing rooms.

Documentaries post Third Reich

• The World at War (1974) is a Thames Television series which contains much information about Hitler and Nazi Germany, including an interview with his secretary, Traudl Junge. The World at War is a 26-episode television documentary series on World War II, including the events leading up to it and following in its wake Thames Television was a licencee of the British ITV television network covering London and parts of the surrounding counties Traudl Junge ( 16 March, 1920 &ndash 10 February, 2002) born Gertraud Humps, was Adolf Hitler 's youngest personal private
• Adolf Hitler's Last Days, from the BBC series "Secrets of World War II" tells the story about Hitler's last days during World War II.
• The Nazis: A Warning From History (1997), a 6-part BBC TV series on how the cultured and educated Germans accepted Hitler and the Nazis up to its downfall. Historical consultant is Ian Kershaw. Sir Ian Kershaw (born April 29 1943 in Oldham, Lancashire, England) is a British Historian, noted for his
• Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary (2002) is an exclusive 90 minute interview with Traudl Junge, Hitler's final trusted secretary. Im toten Winkel - Hitlers Sekretärin (titled Blind Spot Hitler's Secretary in English is a 2002 Austrian documentary directed by Made by Austrian Jewish director André Heller shortly before Junge's death from lung cancer, Junge recalls the last days in the Berlin bunker. Clips of the interview were used in Downfall.
• Undergångens arkitektur (Architecture of Doom) (1989) documentary about the National Socialist aesthetic as envisioned by Hitler. Undergångens arkitektur ( The Architecture of Doom) is a 1989 documentary directed by Swedish director Peter Cohen and narrated by Rolf Arsenius

Dramatizations

• Hitler: The Last Ten Days (1973) is a movie depicting the days leading up to Adolf Hitler's death, starring Sir Alec Guinness. Hitler The Last Ten Days is a 1973 film depicting the days leading up to Adolf Hitler 's suicide. Sir Alec Guinness, CH, CBE (2 April 1914 &ndash 5 August 2000 was an English Actor.
• The Bunker (1978) by James O'Donnell, describing the last days in the Führerbunker from 17 January 1945 to 2 March 1945. The Bunker is an account written by American Journalist James P Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 986 - Louis V becomes King of the Franks. 1127 - Assassination of Charles the Good Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Made into the TV movie The Bunker (1981), starring Anthony Hopkins. The Bunker is a 1981 CBS Television film based on the book of the same name. Sir Philip Anthony Hopkins, CBE (born 31 December 1937 is a Welsh Film, stage and Television Actor.
• Max is a fictional 2002 Drama movie that depicts a friendship between Jewish art dealer Max Rothman (John Cusack) and a young Adolf Hitler (Noah Taylor) as a failed painter in Vienna. Max is a 2002 fictional Drama Film, that depicts a friendship between art dealer Max Rothman and a young painter Adolf Hitler. A drama film is a Film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes John Paul Cusack (born June 28, 1966) is an American Film actor and Screenwriter. Noah George Taylor (born September 4, 1969) is a British-born Australian Actor. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria.
• Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003) is a two-part TV series about the early years of Adolf Hitler and his rise to power (up to 1933). Hitler The Rise of Evil is a TV Miniseries that aired in two parts in May 2003 on CBS, and was produced by Alliance Atlantis It stars Robert Carlyle. Robert Carlyle OBE (born April 14, 1961) is an acclaimed BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award -winning Scottish Film
• Der Untergang (Downfall) (2004) is a German movie about the last days of Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich, starring Bruno Ganz. Downfall ( Der Untergang) is a 2004 German / Austrian Drama film depicting the final twelve days of Adolf Hitler Bruno Ganz ( born March 22 1941) is a Swiss Actor, best-known in the English-speaking world for his portrayal of Adolf Hitler in This film is partly based on the autobiography of Traudl Junge, a favorite secretary of Hitler's. Traudl Junge ( 16 March, 1920 &ndash 10 February, 2002) born Gertraud Humps, was Adolf Hitler 's youngest personal private In 2002, Junge said she felt great guilt for ". . . liking the greatest criminal ever to have lived. "
• Hans-Jürgen Syberberg's Hitler - Ein Film aus Deutschland (Hitler: A Film from Germany), 1977, is a seven-hour work in four parts. Hitler A Film from Germany ( German title Hitler - ein Film aus Deutschland; U The director uses documentary clips, photographic backgrounds, puppets, theatrical stages, and other elements. ^[119]
• The Empty Mirror is a 1996 drama film in which Hitler is still alive. The Empty Mirror is a 1996 Film set in a world where Adolf Hitler and his cadre of closest followers survived the fall of Nazi Germany. He is portrayed by Norman Rodway. Norman Rodway ( February 7, 1929 - March 13, 2001) was an Irish actor

See also

• Ex-Nazis
• Führer Headquarters
• Führermuseum
• List of Adolf Hitler books
• List of Nazi Party leaders and officials

Notes

References

• Bullock, A. (1962), Hitler: A Study in Tyranny, Penguin Books . Penguin Books is a British Publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane.
• Butler, Ewan (1989), The Life and Death of Hermann Goering, David & Charles . David & Charles (also David and Charles) is a publisher specialising in illustrated non-fiction books
• Dollinger, Hans (1995-03-28), The Decline and Fall of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, Gramercy, ISBN 0517123991 . Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Events 37 - Roman Emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, entitled to him by the Senate.
• Hitler, Adolf (1998-09-15), Mein Kampf, Mariner Books, ISBN 0395925037 . Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Mariner Books, a division of Houghton Mifflin, was established in 1997 as a publisher of fiction non fiction and poetry in Paperback.
• Overy, Richard (2005), The Dictators: Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Russia, Penguin Books . Penguin Books is a British Publisher founded in 1935 by Allen Lane.
• Rissmann, Michael (2001), Hitlers Gott. Vorsehungsglaube und Sendungsbewußtsein des deutschen Diktators, Zürich München: Pendo, ISBN 3-85842-421-8 .
• Rosenbaum, R. (1998), Explaining Hitler: The Search for the Origins of his Evil, Macmillan Publishers . Macmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately-held International Publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck
• Shirer, William L. (1961), The Rise And Fall of Adolf Hitler, Random House . Random House Inc is the world's largest English-language general trade book publisher
• Shirer, William L. (1990-11-15), The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 0671728687 . Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 655 - Battle of Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria. Simon & Schuster Inc, a division of CBS Corporation, is a Publisher founded in New York in 1924 by Richard L
• Toland, John (1991-12-01), Adolf Hitler: The Definitive Biography, Doubleday, ISBN 0385420536 . Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican The Doubleday Publishing Group is the fifth largest Book Publishing company in the world

External links

Images and videos

• Photos of Adolf Hitler
• Color Footage of Hitler - Watch color footage of Hitler during WWII
• Adolf Hitler at the Internet Movie Database (The Character portrayed in film and television)

Speeches and publications

• Hitler's book Mein Kampf (full English translation)
• A speech from 1932 (text and audiofile), German Museum of History Berlin
• Hitler Speech (February 10, 1933) with English Translation
• The Testament of Adolf Hitler the Borman-Hitler documents