On April 30,1945, Adolf Hitler committed suicide in an underground bunker near the center of Berlin.
His dream of a Thousand – Year Reichlay in ruins. German cities had been bombed, German armies captured or destroyed. Aweek after Hitlers death, Germany offered unconditional surrender to Allied forces. The nightmare of World War 2 in Europe came to an end.
Hitler was the only man responsible for the horrors of World War 2. But it was hisdream of world domination that possessed Germany. For twelve years he had theopportunity to make the world over in the image of his sick fantasies. He nearlysucceeded. Hitler was one of the most hated men in world history.
But he cannot be dismissed as simply a monster who through the accidents of history reachedgreat power. Hitler was a man whose prejudices and fears were shared by many otherpeople. He gained their trust, even their adoration. Millions, after all died fighting in hisname. We must take Hitler seriously both as an individual and as an effective politicianin order to understand how he gained so much power and how he abused that power. Only then will we be able to appreciate the profound evil of Hitler and Nazism.
Adolf Hitler: The Man Behind the Mask!Adlof Hitler was born April 20, 1889 to Alois and Klara Hitler and had a little sisterPaula and half-brother Alois J. R. and half-sister Angela. Young Adolf was a good student in elementary. Energetic and smart, leader amongchildren his own age. Loved warlike games.
Had an outstanding gift as a speaker. Itwas also discovered Adolf could draw which encouraged him to want to become anartist. After returning to Vienna in February hoping to gain admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, but had been turned down and later turned down twicemore after failing the entrance exam. He lived alone most of his life until Reihold Hanisch, noted his talent for drawing and suggested he produce postcards to be sold on taverns and onthe street. They sold well and Hanisch suggested Hitler produce water color pictureswhich could be sold for more money. His mother died December 21, 1907 and he left Vienna later onin 1913 for he hated Jews and despised of his country because of the trade- unions,democratic rule, and mankind.
So, he left Vienna and went to Munich to study art andarchitecture, while in the mean time becoming fascinated with politics as he continuedto struggle as an artist. When all hopes of Hitler becoming an artist were lostWorld War 1 had started when Archduke Franz Ferdinan was assassinatedon June 28in Sarajevo. After that Austria declared war on Serbia, Germany declared war onRussia and France. Hitler volunteered for the German army and was accepted.
He saw action on thewestern front facing British, French, and Belgian troops. Hilter worked as a messenger. He had receives six medals for bravery including the Iron Cross Medal which isGermany’s highest military honor. After Germany’s defeat in 1917. Hitler felt militaryhad stabbed Germany in the back for giving up and not wanting to fight.
On June 28, 1919, Versailles Treaty was signed which caused a break down of militaryand police organizations. A first attept at political democracy was made, but failed. On March 31, 1920, The Nationalist Socialist Party German Workers Party wasformed. (Nazi) It’s symbol was the Swastika.
Hitler then became a private citizen andwrote his book called Mein Kampf while in jail for a Putsch. The Nazi Party was declared illegal so the National SocialistFreedom Movement was formed. When released from jail on December 20,1924,Germany resumed role as leader of European Culture. Hitler was appointed Chancellorof Germany January 30, 1933. As a result Hitler wanted to control the world so hestarted conflicts and opening fire on countries.
Starting with Czechoslovakia thenBelgium, England and France. Hitler then wanted Poland, but in order to take Polandhe had to make a Peace Treaty with Russia as he did in August of 1939. In June of1941 Hitler turned adn invaded the Soviet Union which went well as Germany hadscored another victory. Being that Hitler disliked Jews he decided to attack any and every Jew in Europe to create a one race nation. The first large scale physical attack occured in November, 1938, after this attack Concentration or DeathCamps were set up to rid Europe of Jews.
Jews from France, Belgium, Holland, Croatia, Mindk, Norway, Greece, Vilna, and Rome were brought to the camps in Auchwitz by train. Once at thecamp Jews were separated, marched to the chambers where hundreds of people at atime could be poisoned to death. There the Jews were told there was work for themand they had to change clothes. Guards would then come and send them to a roomoutfitted with showerheads. After entering the door was screwed up and gas was discharged by waiting disinfectorsthrough vents in the ceiling.
A revolt was made in protesting the camps. After the revoltHitlers initial success in the Soviet Union he was unable to destroy the Red Army. Hitlers plans were too ambitious. He dispersed his forces, thinking he could besiegeLeningrad in the north, attack Moscow, and at the same time, capture oil fields in theCaucasus. As the war dragged on and the scope of Germany’s defeat became evident, Hitler grewincreasingly isolated and hard to work with then shot himselfApril 30, 1945. The author feels that Hitler’s career began in the years following World War 1 when Germany was forced to accept the Versailles Treaty.
Hitler had served in the trences. He took Germany’s defeat as a personal insult-as didmany veterans- and he vowed to reverse the wars outcome. This was a formativeexperience for him and explains why he declared during the Second World War thatGermay would not surrender, that there would not be another 1918. But as we’ve seen, Hitler’s ambitions went far beyond what might be considered thelegitimate or at least the natural and altogether expected wishes of a resurgent Germannationalism. He wanted not only to restore Germany as the dominant power in Europebut also to destroy European civilizatiokn and create a Nazi empire in the center ofEurope.
Only a madman could have dreamed these dreams. Only a political genius could have mobilized public support for them. Only an original militarythinker could have come as close as he did tdo making them all come true. In the end,however, Hitler was defeated, and the political and geographic changes in Europe whichhis war produced were the opposite of what he intended.
