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Why was Adolf Hitler significant?

How did adolf hitler rise to power, why did adolf hitler start world war ii, who were adolf hitler’s most important officers, how did adolf hitler die.

Adolf Hitler

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• Public Broadcasting Service - American Experience - Hitler and Goebbels: A Deadly Partnership
• Spartacus Educational - Biography of Adolf Hitler
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Holocaust Encyclopedia - Adolf Hitler: Early Years, 1889–1913
• The National WWII Museum - How Did Adolf Hitler Happen?
• BBC - iWonder - Adolf Hitler: Man and Monster
• Jewish Virtual Library - Biography of Adolf Hitler
• Adolf Hitler - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Adolf Hitler - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
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Hitler was of great historical importance—a term that does not imply a positive judgment—because his actions changed the course of the world. He was responsible for starting World War II , which resulted in the deaths of more than 50 million people. It also led to the extension of the Soviet Union ’s power in eastern, central, and Balkan Europe, enabled a communist movement to eventually achieve control in China , and marked the decisive shift of power away from western Europe and toward the United States and the Soviet Union. In addition, Hitler was responsible for the Holocaust , the state-sponsored killing of six million Jews and millions of others.

Hitler’s rise to power traces to 1919, when he joined the German Workers’ Party that became the Nazi Party . With his oratorical skills and use of propaganda, he soon became its leader. Hitler gained popularity nationwide by exploiting unrest during the Great Depression , and in 1932 he placed second in the presidential race. Hitler’s various maneuvers resulted in the winner, Paul von Hindenburg , appointing him chancellor in January 1933. The following month the Reichstag fire occurred, and it provided an excuse for a decree overriding all guarantees of freedom. Then on March 23 the Enabling Act was passed, giving full powers to Hitler. When Hindenburg died on August 2, 1934, the chancellorship and the presidency were merged, and Hitler secured his position as Führer (“leader”).

Hitler had an overriding ambition for territorial expansion, which was largely driven by his desire to reunify the German peoples and his pursuit of Lebensraum , “living space” that would enable Germans to become economically self-sufficient and militarily secure. Such goals were greeted with support by many within Germany who resented the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles , which had ended World War I . Through various means he was able to annex Austria and Czechoslovakia with little resistance in 1938–39. Then on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland , which had been guaranteed French and British military support should such an event occur. Two days later both countries declared war on Germany, launching World War II .

A key figure of Hitler’s inner circle was Joseph Goebbels , minister of propaganda and a fervent follower whom Hitler selected to succeed him as chancellor. However, Goebbels only held the post for one day before committing suicide. Also notable were Hermann Göring , who was a leader of the Nazi Party and one of the primary architects of the Nazi police state in Germany; Heinrich Himmler , who was second in power to Hitler; Joachim von Ribbentrop , foreign minister and chief negotiator of various treaties; Martin Bormann , who was one of Hitler’s closest lieutenants; and Walther Funk , an economist who served as president of the Reichsbank.

As Soviet troops entered the heart of Berlin , Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945, in his underground bunker. Although there is some speculation about the manner of his death, it is widely believed that he shot himself. Eva Braun , whom he had recently married, also took her own life. According to his wishes, both bodies were burned and buried. Almost immediately, however, conspiracy theories began. The Soviets initially claimed that they were unable to confirm Hitler’s death and later spread rumors that he was alive. According to subsequent reports, however, the Soviets recovered his burnt remains, which were identified through dental records. Hitler’s body was secretly buried before being exhumed and cremated, with the ashes scattered in 1970.

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Adolf Hitler (born April 20, 1889, Braunau am Inn , Austria—died April 30, 1945, Berlin , Germany) was the leader of the Nazi Party (from 1920/21) and chancellor ( Kanzler ) and Führer of Germany (1933–45). His worldview revolved around two concepts: territorial expansion and racial supremacy . Those themes informed his decision to invade Poland , which marked the start of World War II , as well as the systematic killing of six million Jews and millions of others during the Holocaust.

Hitler’s father, Alois (born 1837), was illegitimate . For a time he bore his mother’s name, Schicklgruber, but by 1876 he had established his family claim to the surname Hitler. Adolf never used any other surname.

After his father’s retirement from the state customs service, Adolf Hitler spent most of his childhood in Linz , the capital of Upper Austria . It remained his favourite city throughout his life, and he expressed his wish to be buried there. Alois Hitler died in 1903 but left an adequate pension and savings to support his wife and children. Although Hitler feared and disliked his father, he was a devoted son to his mother, who died after much suffering in 1907. With a mixed record as a student, Hitler never advanced beyond a secondary education . After leaving school, he visited Vienna , then returned to Linz, where he dreamed of becoming an artist. Later, he used the small allowance he continued to draw to maintain himself in Vienna. He wished to study art, for which he had some faculties , but he twice failed to secure entry to the Academy of Fine Arts. For some years he lived a lonely and isolated life, earning a precarious livelihood by painting postcards and advertisements and drifting from one municipal hostel to another. Hitler already showed traits that characterized his later life: loneliness and secretiveness, a bohemian mode of everyday existence, and hatred of cosmopolitanism and of the multinational character of Vienna.

In 1913 Hitler moved to Munich . Screened for Austrian military service in February 1914, he was classified as unfit because of inadequate physical vigour; but when World War I broke out, he petitioned Bavarian King Louis III to be allowed to serve, and one day after submitting that request, he was notified that he would be permitted to join the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. After some eight weeks of training, Hitler was deployed in October 1914 to Belgium , where he participated in the First Battle of Ypres . He served throughout the war, was wounded in October 1916, and was gassed two years later near Ypres . He was hospitalized when the conflict ended. During the war, he was continuously in the front line as a headquarters runner; his bravery in action was rewarded with the Iron Cross , Second Class, in December 1914, and the Iron Cross, First Class (a rare decoration for a corporal), in August 1918. He greeted the war with enthusiasm, as a great relief from the frustration and aimlessness of civilian life. He found discipline and comradeship satisfying and was confirmed in his belief in the heroic virtues of war .

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Adolf Hitler

By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 30, 2024 | Original: October 29, 2009

Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany’s  Nazi Party , was one of the most powerful and notorious dictators of the 20th century. After serving with the German military in World War I , Hitler capitalized on economic woes, popular discontent and political infighting during the Weimar Republic to rise through the ranks of the Nazi Party.

In a series of ruthless and violent actions—including the Reichstag Fire and the Night of Long Knives—Hitler took absolute power in Germany by 1933. Germany’s invasion of Poland in 1939 led to the outbreak of  World War II , and by 1941, Nazi forces had used “blitzkrieg” military tactics to occupy much of Europe. Hitler’s virulent  anti-Semitism  and obsessive pursuit of Aryan supremacy fueled the murder of some 6 million Jews, along with other victims of the  Holocaust . After the tide of war turned against him, Hitler committed suicide in a Berlin bunker in April 1945.

Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, a small Austrian town near the Austro-German frontier. After his father, Alois, retired as a state customs official, young Adolf spent most of his childhood in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria.

Not wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps as a civil servant, he began struggling in secondary school and eventually dropped out. Alois died in 1903, and Adolf pursued his dream of being an artist, though he was rejected from Vienna’s Academy of Fine Arts.

After his mother, Klara, died in 1908, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he pieced together a living painting scenery and monuments and selling the images. Lonely, isolated and a voracious reader, Hitler became interested in politics during his years in Vienna, and developed many of the ideas that would shape Nazi ideology.

Military Career of Adolf Hitler

In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich, in the German state of Bavaria. When World War I broke out the following summer, he successfully petitioned the Bavarian king to be allowed to volunteer in a reserve infantry regiment.

Deployed in October 1914 to Belgium, Hitler served throughout the Great War and won two decorations for bravery, including the rare Iron Cross First Class, which he wore to the end of his life.

Hitler was wounded twice during the conflict: He was hit in the leg during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, and temporarily blinded by a British gas attack near Ypres in 1918. A month later, he was recuperating in a hospital at Pasewalk, northeast of Berlin, when news arrived of the armistice and Germany’s defeat in World War I .

Like many Germans, Hitler came to believe the country’s devastating defeat could be attributed not to the Allies, but to insufficiently patriotic “traitors” at home—a myth that would undermine the post-war Weimar Republic and set the stage for Hitler’s rise.

After Hitler returned to Munich in late 1918, he joined the small German Workers’ Party, which aimed to unite the interests of the working class with a strong German nationalism. His skilled oratory and charismatic energy helped propel him in the party’s ranks, and in 1920 he left the army and took charge of its propaganda efforts.

In one of Hitler’s strokes of propaganda genius, the newly renamed National Socialist German Workers Party, or  Nazi Party , adopted a version of the swastika—an ancient sacred symbol of  Hinduism , Jainism and Buddhism —as its emblem. Printed in a white circle on a red background, Hitler’s swastika would take on terrifying symbolic power in the years to come.

By the end of 1921, Hitler led the growing Nazi Party, capitalizing on widespread discontent with the Weimar Republic and the punishing terms of the Versailles Treaty . Many dissatisfied former army officers in Munich would join the Nazis, notably Ernst Röhm, who recruited the “strong arm” squads—known as the Sturmabteilung (SA)—which Hitler used to protect party meetings and attack opponents.

Beer Hall Putsch 

On the evening of November 8, 1923, members of the SA and others forced their way into a large beer hall where another right-wing leader was addressing the crowd. Wielding a revolver, Hitler proclaimed the beginning of a national revolution and led marchers to the center of Munich, where they got into a gun battle with police.

Hitler fled quickly, but he and other rebel leaders were later arrested. Even though it failed spectacularly, the Beer Hall Putsch established Hitler as a national figure , and (in the eyes of many) a hero of right-wing nationalism.

'Mein Kampf' 

Tried for treason, Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison, but would serve only nine months in the relative comfort of Landsberg Castle. During this period, he began to dictate the book that would become " Mein Kampf " (“My Struggle”), the first volume of which was published in 1925.

In it, Hitler expanded on the nationalistic, anti-Semitic views he had begun to develop in Vienna in his early twenties, and laid out plans for the Germany—and the world—he sought to create when he came to power.

Hitler would finish the second volume of "Mein Kampf" after his release, while relaxing in the mountain village of Berchtesgaden. It sold modestly at first, but with Hitler’s rise it became Germany’s best-selling book after the Bible. By 1940, it had sold some 6 million copies there.

Hitler’s second book, “The Zweites Buch,” was written in 1928 and contained his thoughts on foreign policy. It was not published in his lifetime due to the poor initial sales of “Mein Kampf.” The first English translations of “The Zweites Buch” did not appear until 1962 and was published under the title “Hitler's Secret Book.” 

Obsessed with race and the idea of ethnic “purity,” Hitler saw a natural order that placed the so-called “Aryan race” at the top.

For him, the unity of the Volk (the German people) would find its truest incarnation not in democratic or parliamentary government, but in one supreme leader, or Führer.

" Mein Kampf " also addressed the need for Lebensraum (or living space): In order to fulfill its destiny, Germany should take over lands to the east that were now occupied by “inferior” Slavic peoples—including Austria, the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia), Poland and Russia.

The Schutzstaffel (SS) 

By the time Hitler left prison, economic recovery had restored some popular support for the Weimar Republic, and support for right-wing causes like Nazism appeared to be waning.

Over the next few years, Hitler laid low and worked on reorganizing and reshaping the Nazi Party. He established the Hitler Youth  to organize youngsters, and created the Schutzstaffel (SS) as a more reliable alternative to the SA.

Members of the SS wore black uniforms and swore a personal oath of loyalty to Hitler. (After 1929, under the leadership of Heinrich Himmler , the SS would develop from a group of some 200 men into a force that would dominate Germany and terrorize the rest of occupied Europe during World War II .)

Hitler spent much of his time at Berchtesgaden during these years, and his half-sister, Angela Raubal, and her two daughters often joined him. After Hitler became infatuated with his beautiful blonde niece, Geli Raubal, his possessive jealousy apparently led her to commit suicide in 1931.

Devastated by the loss, Hitler would consider Geli the only true love affair of his life. He soon began a long relationship with Eva Braun , a shop assistant from Munich, but refused to marry her.

The worldwide Great Depression that began in 1929 again threatened the stability of the Weimar Republic. Determined to achieve political power in order to affect his revolution, Hitler built up Nazi support among German conservatives, including army, business and industrial leaders.

The Third Reich

In 1932, Hitler ran against the war hero Paul von Hindenburg for president, and received 36.8 percent of the vote. With the government in chaos, three successive chancellors failed to maintain control, and in late January 1933 Hindenburg named the 43-year-old Hitler as chancellor, capping the stunning rise of an unlikely leader.

January 30, 1933 marked the birth of the Third Reich, or as the Nazis called it, the “Thousand-Year Reich” (after Hitler’s boast that it would endure for a millennium).

HISTORY Vault: Third Reich: The Rise

Rare and never-before-seen amateur films offer a unique perspective on the rise of Nazi Germany from Germans who experienced it. How were millions of people so vulnerable to fascism?

Reichstag Fire 

Though the Nazis never attained more than 37 percent of the vote at the height of their popularity in 1932, Hitler was able to grab absolute power in Germany largely due to divisions and inaction among the majority who opposed Nazism.

After a devastating fire at Germany’s parliament building, the Reichstag, in February 1933—possibly the work of a Dutch communist, though later evidence suggested Nazis set the  Reichstag fire  themselves—Hitler had an excuse to step up the political oppression and violence against his opponents.

On March 23, the Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, giving full powers to Hitler and celebrating the union of National Socialism with the old German establishment (i.e., Hindenburg ).

That July, the government passed a law stating that the Nazi Party “constitutes the only political party in Germany,” and within months all non-Nazi parties, trade unions and other organizations had ceased to exist.

His autocratic power now secure within Germany, Hitler turned his eyes toward the rest of Europe.

In 1933, Germany was diplomatically isolated, with a weak military and hostile neighbors (France and Poland). In a famous speech in May 1933, Hitler struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone, claiming Germany supported disarmament and peace.

But behind this appeasement strategy, the domination and expansion of the Volk remained Hitler’s overriding aim.

By early the following year, he had withdrawn Germany from the League of Nations and begun to militarize the nation in anticipation of his plans for territorial conquest.

Night of the Long Knives

On June 29, 1934, the infamous Night of the Long Knives , Hitler had Röhm, former Chancellor Kurt von Schleicher and hundreds of other problematic members of his own party murdered, in particular troublesome members of the SA.

When the 86-year-old Hindenburg died on August 2, military leaders agreed to combine the presidency and chancellorship into one position, meaning Hitler would command all the armed forces of the Reich.

Persecution of Jews

On September 15, 1935, passage of the Nuremberg Laws deprived Jews of German citizenship, and barred them from marrying or having relations with persons of “German or related blood.”

Though the Nazis attempted to downplay its persecution of Jews in order to placate the international community during the 1936 Berlin Olympics (in which German-Jewish athletes were not allowed to compete), additional decrees over the next few years disenfranchised Jews and took away their political and civil rights.

In addition to its pervasive anti-Semitism, Hitler’s government also sought to establish the cultural dominance of Nazism by burning books, forcing newspapers out of business, using radio and movies for propaganda purposes and forcing teachers throughout Germany’s educational system to join the party.

Much of the Nazi persecution of Jews and other targets occurred at the hands of the Geheime Staatspolizei (GESTAPO), or Secret State Police, an arm of the SS that expanded during this period.

Outbreak of World War II

In March 1936, against the advice of his generals, Hitler ordered German troops to reoccupy the demilitarized left bank of the Rhine.

Over the next two years, Germany concluded alliances with Italy and Japan, annexed Austria and moved against Czechoslovakia—all essentially without resistance from Great Britain, France or the rest of the international community.

Once he confirmed the alliance with Italy in the so-called “Pact of Steel” in May 1939, Hitler then signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union . On September 1, 1939, Nazi troops invaded Poland, finally prompting Britain and France to declare war on Germany.

Blitzkrieg 

After ordering the occupation of Norway and Denmark in April 1940, Hitler adopted a plan proposed by one of his generals to attack France through the Ardennes Forest. The blitzkrieg (“lightning war”) attack began on May 10; Holland quickly surrendered, followed by Belgium.

German troops made it all the way to the English Channel, forcing British and French forces to evacuate en masse from Dunkirk in late May. On June 22, France was forced to sign an armistice with Germany.

Hitler had hoped to force Britain to seek peace as well, but when that failed he went ahead with his attacks on that country, followed by an invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor that December, the United States declared war on Japan, and Germany’s alliance with Japan demanded that Hitler declare war on the United States as well.

At that point in the conflict, Hitler shifted his central strategy to focus on breaking the alliance of his main opponents (Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union) by forcing one of them to make peace with him.

Concentration Camps

Beginning in 1933, the SS had operated a network of concentration camps, including a notorious camp at Dachau , near Munich, to hold Jews and other targets of the Nazi regime.

After war broke out, the Nazis shifted from expelling Jews from German-controlled territories to exterminating them. Einsatzgruppen, or mobile death squads, executed entire Jewish communities during the Soviet invasion, while the existing concentration-camp network expanded to include death camps like Auschwitz -Birkenau in occupied Poland.

In addition to forced labor and mass execution, certain Jews at Auschwitz were targeted as the subjects of horrific medical experiments carried out by eugenicist Josef Mengele, known as the “Angel of Death.” Mengele’s experiments focused on twins and exposed 3,000 child prisoners to disease, disfigurement and torture under the guise of medical research.

Though the Nazis also imprisoned and killed Catholics, homosexuals, political dissidents, Roma (gypsies) and the disabled, above all they targeted Jews—some 6 million of whom were killed in German-occupied Europe by war’s end.

End of World War II

With defeats at El-Alamein and Stalingrad , as well as the landing of U.S. troops in North Africa by the end of 1942, the tide of the war turned against Germany.

As the conflict continued, Hitler became increasingly unwell, isolated and dependent on medications administered by his personal physician.

Several attempts were made on his life, including one that came close to succeeding in July 1944, when Col. Claus von Stauffenberg planted a bomb that exploded during a conference at Hitler’s headquarters in East Prussia.

Within a few months of the successful Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944, the Allies had begun liberating cities across Europe. That December, Hitler attempted to direct another offensive through the Ardennes, trying to split British and American forces.

But after January 1945, he holed up in a bunker beneath the Chancellery in Berlin. With Soviet forces closing in, Hitler made plans for a last-ditch resistance before finally abandoning that plan.

How Did Adolf Hitler Die?

At midnight on the night of April 28-29, Hitler married Eva Braun in the Berlin bunker. After dictating his political testament,  Hitler shot himself  in his suite on April 30; Braun took poison. Their bodies were burned according to Hitler’s instructions.

With Soviet troops occupying Berlin, Germany surrendered unconditionally on all fronts on May 7, 1945, bringing the war in Europe to a close.

In the end, Hitler’s planned “Thousand-Year Reich” lasted just over 12 years, but wreaked unfathomable destruction and devastation during that time, forever transforming the history of Germany, Europe and the world.

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich iWonder – Adolf Hitler: Man and Monster, BBC . The Holocaust : A Learning Site for Students, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum .

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Introduction to the Holocaust

• What is Antisemitism?
• How Many People did the Nazis Murder?
• Raoul Wallenberg and the Rescue of Jews in Budapest
• Emigration and the Evian Conference
• The Kielce Pogrom: A Blood Libel Massacre of Holocaust Survivors
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The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. The Holocaust was an evolving process that took place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945.

Antisemitism was at the foundation of the Holocaust. Antisemitism, the hatred of or prejudice against Jews, was a basic tenet of Nazi ideology. This prejudice was also widespread throughout Europe.

Nazi Germany’s persecution of Jews evolved and became increasingly more radical between 1933 and 1945. This radicalization culminated in the mass murder of six million Jews.

During World War II, Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators killed nearly two out of every three European Jews using deadly living conditions, brutal mistreatment, mass shootings and gassings, and specially designed killing centers.

• Final Solution
• Third Reich
• World War II

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The Holocaust (1933–1945) was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. 1 In addition to perpetrating the Holocaust, Nazi Germany also persecuted and murdered millions of other victims .  

What was the Holocaust? 

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum defines the years of the Holocaust as 1933–1945. The Holocaust era began in January 1933 when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. It ended in May 1945, when the Allied Powers defeated Nazi Germany in World War II. The Holocaust is also sometimes referred to as “the Shoah,” the Hebrew word for “catastrophe.”

By the end of the Holocaust, the Nazi German regime and their allies and collaborators had murdered six million European Jews. 

Why did the Nazis target Jews?

The Nazis targeted Jews because the Nazis were radically antisemitic. This means that they were prejudiced against and hated Jews. In fact, antisemitism was a basic tenet of their ideology and at the foundation of their worldview. 

The Nazis falsely accused Jews of causing Germany’s social, economic, political, and cultural problems. In particular, they blamed them for Germany’s defeat in World War I (1914–1918). Some Germans were receptive to these Nazi claims. Anger over the loss of the war and the economic and political crises that followed contributed to increasing antisemitism in German society. The instability of Germany under the Weimar Republic (1918–1933), the fear of communism , and the economic shocks of the Great Depression also made many Germans more open to Nazi ideas, including antisemitism.

However, the Nazis did not invent antisemitism. Antisemitism is an old and widespread prejudice that has taken many forms throughout history. In Europe, it dates back to ancient times. In the Middle Ages (500–1400), prejudices against Jews were primarily based in early Christian belief and thought, particularly the myth that Jews were responsible for the death of Jesus. Suspicion and discrimination rooted in religious prejudices continued in early modern Europe (1400–1800). At that time, leaders in much of Christian Europe isolated Jews from most aspects of economic, social, and political life. This exclusion contributed to stereotypes of Jews as outsiders. As Europe became more secular, many places lifted most legal restrictions on Jews. This, however, did not mean the end of antisemitism. In addition to religious antisemitism, other types of antisemitism took hold in Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries. These new forms included economic, nationalist, and racial antisemitism. In the 19th century, antisemites falsely claimed that Jews were responsible for many social and political ills in modern, industrial society. Theories of race, eugenics , and Social Darwinism falsely justified these hatreds. Nazi prejudice against Jews drew upon all of these elements, but especially racial antisemitism . Racial antisemitism is the discriminatory idea that Jews are a separate and inferior race. 

Where did the Holocaust take place?

The Holocaust was a Nazi German initiative that took place throughout German- and Axis-controlled Europe. It affected nearly all of Europe’s Jewish population, which in 1933 numbered 9 million people. 

The Holocaust began in Germany after Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor in January 1933. Almost immediately, the Nazi German regime (which called itself the Third Reich ) excluded Jews from German economic, political, social, and cultural life. Throughout the 1930s, the regime increasingly pressured Jews to emigrate. 

But the Nazi persecution of Jews spread beyond Germany. Throughout the 1930s, Nazi Germany pursued an aggressive foreign policy . This culminated in World War II, which began in Europe in 1939. Prewar and wartime territorial expansion eventually brought millions more Jewish people under German control. 

Nazi Germany’s territorial expansion began in 1938–1939. During this time, Germany annexed neighboring Austria and the Sudetenland and occupied the Czech lands. On September 1, 1939, Nazi Germany began World War II (1939–1945) by attacking Poland . Over the next two years, Germany invaded and occupied much of Europe, including western parts of the Soviet Union . Nazi Germany further extended its control by forming alliances with the governments of Italy , Hungary , Romania , and Bulgaria . It also created puppet states in Slovakia and Croatia. Together these countries made up the European members of the Axis alliance , which also included Japan. 

By 1942—as a result of annexations, invasions, occupations, and alliances—Nazi Germany controlled most of Europe and parts of North Africa. Nazi control brought harsh policies and ultimately mass murder to Jewish civilians across Europe. 

The Nazis and their allies and collaborators murdered six million Jews.

Geography of the Holocaust

How did Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators persecute Jewish people? 

Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its allies and collaborators implemented a wide range of anti-Jewish policies and measures. These policies varied from place to place. Thus, not all Jews experienced the Holocaust in the same way. But in all instances, millions of people were persecuted simply because they were identified as Jewish. 

Throughout German-controlled and aligned territories, the persecution of Jews took a variety of forms:

• Legal discrimination in the form of antisemitic laws . These included the Nuremberg Race Laws and numerous other discriminatory laws.
• Various forms of public identification and exclusion. These included antisemitic propaganda , boycotts of Jewish-owned businesses , public humiliation , and obligatory markings (such as the Jewish star badge worn as an armband or on clothing). 
• Organized violence. The most notable example is Kristallnacht . There were also isolated incidents and other pogroms (violent riots).
• Physical Displacement. Perpetrators used forced emigration, resettlement, expulsion, deportation, and ghettoization to physically displace Jewish individuals and communities.
• Internment. Perpetrators interned Jews in overcrowded ghettos , concentration camps , and forced-labor camps, where many died from starvation, disease, and other inhumane conditions.
• Widespread theft and plunder. The confiscation of Jews’ property, personal belongings, and valuables was a key part of the Holocaust. 
• Forced labor . Jews had to perform forced labor in service of the Axis war effort or for the enrichment of Nazi organizations, the military, and/or private businesses. 

Many Jews died as a result of these policies. But before 1941, the systematic mass murder of all Jews was not Nazi policy. Beginning in 1941, however, Nazi leaders decided to implement the mass murder of Europe’s Jews. They referred to this plan as the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” 

What was the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question”?

The Nazi “Final Solution to the Jewish Question” (“ Endlösung der Judenfrage ”) was the deliberate and systematic mass murder of European Jews. It was the last stage of the Holocaust and took place from 1941 to 1945. Though many Jews were killed before the "Final Solution" began, the vast majority of Jewish victims were murdered during this period.

Mass Shootings

The Nazi German regime perpetrated mass shootings of civilians on a scale never seen before. After Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, German units began to carry out mass shootings of local Jews. At first, these units targeted Jewish men of military age. But by August 1941, they had started massacring entire Jewish communities. These massacres were often conducted in broad daylight and in full view and earshot of local residents. 

Mass shooting operations took place in more than 1,500 cities, towns, and villages across eastern Europe. German units tasked with murdering the local Jewish population moved throughout the region committing horrific massacres. Typically, these units would enter a town and round up the Jewish civilians. They would then take the Jewish residents to the outskirts of the town. Next, they would force them to dig a mass grave or take them to mass graves prepared in advance. Finally, German forces and/or local auxiliary units would shoot all of the men, women, and children into these pits. Sometimes, these massacres involved the use of specially designed mobile gas vans. Perpetrators would use these vans to suffocate victims with carbon monoxide exhaust.

Germans also carried out mass shootings at killing sites in occupied eastern Europe. Typically these were located near large cities. These sites included Fort IX in Kovno (Kaunas), the Rumbula and Bikernieki Forests in Riga , and Maly Trostenets near Minsk . At these killing sites, Germans and local collaborators murdered tens of thousands of Jews from the Kovno, Riga, and Minsk ghettos. They also shot tens of thousands of German, Austrian, and Czech Jews at these killing sites. At Maly Trostenets, thousands of victims were also murdered in gas vans.

The German units that perpetrated the mass shootings in eastern Europe included Einsatzgruppen (special task forces of the SS and police), Order Police battalions, and Waffen-SS units. The German military ( Wehrmacht ) provided logistical support and manpower. Some Wehrmacht units also carried out massacres. In many places, local auxiliary units working with the SS and police participated in the mass shootings. These auxiliary units were made up of local civilian, military, and police officials.

As many as 2 million Jews were murdered in mass shootings or gas vans in territories seized from Soviet forces. 

Killing Centers

German authorities, with the help of their allies and collaborators, transported Jews from across Europe to these killing centers. They disguised their intentions by calling the transports to the killing centers “resettlement actions” or “evacuation transports.” In English, they are often referred to as “deportations.” Most of these deportations took place by train. In order to efficiently transport Jews to the killing centers, German authorities used the extensive European railroad system , as well as other means of transportation. In many cases the railcars on the trains were freight cars; in other instances they were passenger cars. 

The conditions on deportation transports were horrific. German and collaborating local authorities forced Jews of all ages into overcrowded railcars. They often had to stand, sometimes for days, until the train reached its destination. The perpetrators deprived them of food, water, bathrooms, heat, and medical care. Jews frequently died en route from the inhumane conditions.

The vast majority of Jews deported to killing centers were gassed almost immediately after their arrival. Some Jews whom German officials believed to be healthy and strong enough were selected for forced labor. 

My mother ran over to me and grabbed me by the shoulders, and she told me "Leibele, I'm not going to see you no more. Take care of your brother."  — Leo Schneiderman  describing arrival at Auschwitz, selection, and separation from his family

At all five killing centers, German officials forced some Jewish prisoners to assist in the killing process. Among other tasks, these prisoners had to sort through victims’ belongings and remove victims’ bodies from the gas chambers. Special units disposed of the millions of corpses through mass burial, in burning pits, or by burning them in large, specially designed crematoria .

Nearly 2.7 million Jewish men, women, and children were murdered at the five killing centers. 

What were ghettos and why did German authorities create them during the Holocaust? 

Ghettos were areas of cities or towns where German occupiers forced Jews to live in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. German authorities often enclosed these areas by building walls or other barriers. Guards prevented Jews from leaving without permission. Some ghettos existed for years, but others existed only for months, weeks, or even days as holding sites prior to deportation or murder. 

German officials first created ghettos in 1939–1940 in German-occupied Poland. The two largest were located in the occupied Polish cities of Warsaw and Lodz (Łódź). Beginning in June 1941, German officials also established them in newly conquered territories in eastern Europe following the German attack on the Soviet Union. German authorities and their allies and collaborators also established ghettos in other parts of Europe. Notably, in 1944, German and Hungarian authorities created temporary ghettos to centralize and control Jews prior to their deportation from Hungary. 

The Purpose of the Ghettos

German authorities originally established the ghettos to isolate and control the large local Jewish populations in occupied eastern Europe. Initially, they concentrated Jewish residents from within a city and the surrounding area or region. However, beginning in 1941, German officials also deported Jews from other parts of Europe (including Germany) to some of these ghettos. 

Jewish forced labor became a central feature of life in many ghettos. In theory, it was supposed to help pay for the administration of the ghetto as well as support the German war effort. Sometimes, factories and workshops were established nearby in order to exploit the imprisoned Jews for forced labor. The labor was often manual and grueling. 

Life in the Ghettos

Jews in the ghettos sought to maintain a sense of dignity and community. Schools, libraries, communal welfare services, and religious institutions provided some measure of connection among residents. Attempts to document life in the ghettos, such as the Oneg Shabbat archive and clandestine photography, are powerful examples of spiritual resistance . Many ghettos also had underground movements that carried out armed resistance. The most famous of these is the Warsaw ghetto uprising in 1943.    

Liquidating the Ghettos

Beginning in 1941–1942, Germans and their allies and collaborators murdered ghetto residents en masse and dissolved ghetto administrative structures. They called this process “liquidation.” It was part of the “Final Solution to the Jewish Question.” The majority of Jews in the ghettos were murdered either in mass shootings at nearby killing sites or after deportation to killing centers. Most of the killing centers were deliberately located near the large ghettos of German-occupied Poland or on easily-accessible railway routes. 

Who was responsible for carrying out the Holocaust and the Final Solution?

Many people were responsible for carrying out the Holocaust and the Final Solution. 

At the highest level, Adolf Hitler inspired, ordered, approved, and supported the genocide of Europe’s Jews. However, Hitler did not act alone. Nor did he lay out an exact plan for the implementation of the Final Solution. Other Nazi leaders were the ones who directly coordinated, planned, and implemented the mass murder. Among them were Hermann Göring , Heinrich Himmler , Reinhard Heydrich , and Adolf Eichmann . 

However, millions of Germans and other Europeans participated in the Holocaust. Without their involvement, the genocide of the Jewish people in Europe would not have been possible. Nazi leaders relied upon German institutions and organizations; other Axis powers; local bureaucracies and institutions; and individuals. 

German Institutions, Organizations, and Individuals

As members of these institutions, countless German soldiers , policemen , civil servants , lawyers, judges , businessmen , engineers, and doctors and nurses chose to implement the regime’s policies. Ordinary Germans also participated in the Holocaust in a variety of ways. Some Germans cheered as Jews were beaten or humiliated. Others denounced Jews for disobeying racist laws and regulations. Many Germans bought, took, or looted their Jewish neighbors' belongings and property. These Germans’ participation in the Holocaust was motivated by enthusiasm, careerism, fear, greed, self-interest, antisemitism, and political ideals, among other factors. 

Non-German Governments and Institutions

Nazi Germany did not perpetrate the Holocaust alone. It relied on the help of its allies and collaborators. In this context, “allies” refers to Axis countries officially allied with Nazi Germany. “Collaborators” refers to regimes and organizations that cooperated with German authorities in an official or semi-official capacity. Nazi Germany’s allies and collaborators included:

• The European Axis Powers and other collaborationist regimes (such as Vichy France ). These governments passed their own antisemitic legislation and cooperated with German goals.
• German-backed local bureaucracies, especially local police forces. These organizations helped round up, intern, and deport Jews even in countries not allied with Germany, such as the Netherlands .
• Local auxiliary units made up of military and police officials and civilians. These German-backed units participated in massacres of Jews in eastern Europe (often voluntarily). 

The terms “allies” and “collaborators” can also refer to individuals affiliated with these governments and organizations.

Individuals across Europe 

Throughout Europe, individuals who had no governmental or institutional affiliation and did not directly participate in murdering Jews also contributed to the Holocaust. 

One of the deadliest things that neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and even friends could do was denounce Jews to Nazi German authorities. An unknown number chose to do so. They revealed Jews’ hiding places, unmasked false Christian identities, and otherwise identified Jews to Nazi officials. In doing so, they brought about their deaths. These individuals’ motivations were wide-ranging: fear, self-interest, greed, revenge, antisemitism, and political and ideological beliefs.

Individuals also profited from the Holocaust. Non-Jews sometimes moved into Jews’ homes, took over Jewish-owned businesses, and stole Jews’ possessions and valuables. This was part of the widespread theft and plunder that accompanied the genocide. 

Most often individuals contributed to the Holocaust through inaction and indifference to the plight of their Jewish neighbors. Sometimes these individuals are called bystanders . 

Who were the other victims of Nazi persecution and mass murder?

The Holocaust specifically refers to the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews. However, there were also millions of other victims of Nazi persecution and murder . In the 1930s, the regime targeted a variety of alleged domestic enemies within German society. As the Nazis extended their reach during World War II, millions of other Europeans were also subjected to Nazi brutality. 

The Nazis classified Jews as the priority “enemy.” However, they also targeted other groups as threats to the health, unity, and security of the German people. The first group targeted by the Nazi regime consisted of political opponents . These included officials and members of other political parties and trade union activists. Political opponents also included people simply suspected of opposing or criticizing the Nazi regime. Political enemies were the first to be incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps . Jehovah’s Witnesses were also incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps. They were arrested because they refused to swear loyalty to the government or serve in the German military.

The Nazi regime also targeted Germans whose activities were deemed harmful to German society. These included men accused of homosexuality , persons accused of being professional or habitual criminals, and so-called asocials (such as people identified as vagabonds, beggars, prostitutes, pimps, and alcoholics). Tens of thousands of these victims were incarcerated in prisons and concentration camps. The regime also forcibly sterilized and persecuted Afro-Germans . 

People with disabilities were also victimized by the Nazi regime. Before World War II, Germans considered to have supposedly unhealthy hereditary conditions were forcibly sterilized. Once the war began, Nazi policy radicalized. People with disabilities, especially those living in institutions, were considered both a genetic and a financial burden on Germany. These people were targeted for murder in the so-called Euthanasia Program .

The Nazi regime employed extreme measures against groups considered to be racial, civilizational, or ideological enemies. This included Roma (Gypsies) , Poles (especially the Polish intelligentsia and elites), Soviet officials , and Soviet prisoners of war . The Nazis perpetrated mass murder against these groups.

How did the Holocaust end? 

But liberation did not bring closure. Many Holocaust survivors faced ongoing threats of violent antisemitism and displacement as they sought to build new lives. Many had lost family members, while others searched for years to locate missing parents, children, and siblings.

How did some Jews survive the Holocaust? 

Despite Nazi Germany’s efforts to murder all the Jews of Europe, some Jews survived the Holocaust. Survival took a variety of forms. But, in every case, survival was only possible because of an extraordinary confluence of circumstances, choices, help from others (both Jewish and non-Jewish), and sheer luck. 

Survival outside of German-Controlled Europe 

Some Jews survived the Holocaust by escaping German-controlled Europe. Before World War II began, hundreds of thousands of Jews emigrated from Nazi Germany despite significant immigration barriers. Those who immigrated to the United States, Great Britain, and other areas that remained beyond German control were safe from Nazi violence. Even after World War II began, some Jews managed to escape German-controlled Europe. For example, approximately 200,000 Polish Jews fled the German occupation of Poland. These Jews survived the war under harsh conditions after Soviet authorities deported them further east into the interior of the Soviet Union.

Survival in German-Controlled Europe

A smaller number of Jews survived inside German-controlled Europe. They often did so with the help of rescuers. Rescue efforts ranged from the isolated actions of individuals to organized networks, both small and large. Throughout Europe, there were non-Jews who took grave risks to help their Jewish neighbors, friends, and strangers survive. For example, they found hiding places for Jews, procured false papers that offered protective Christian identities, or provided them with food and supplies. Other Jews survived as members of partisan resistance movements . Finally, some Jews managed, against enormous odds, to survive imprisonment in concentration camps, ghettos, and even killing centers. 

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, those Jews who survived were often confronted with the traumatic reality of having lost their entire families and communities. Some were able to go home and chose to rebuild their lives in Europe. Many others were afraid to do so because of postwar violence and antisemitism . In the immediate postwar period, those who could not or would not return home often found themselves living in displaced persons camps . There, many had to wait years before they were able to immigrate to new homes.

In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the world has struggled to come to terms with the horrors of the genocide, to remember the victims, and to hold perpetrators responsible . These important efforts remain ongoing.

Series: After the Holocaust

Liberation of Nazi Camps

The Aftermath of the Holocaust: Effects on Survivors

Displaced Persons

About Life after the Holocaust

Postwar Trials

What is Genocide?

Genocide timeline, series: the holocaust.

"Final Solution": Overview

Forced Labor: An Overview

Mass Shootings of Jews during the Holocaust

Gassing Operations

Deportations to Killing Centers

Killing Centers: An Overview

Switch series, critical thinking questions.

What can we learn from the massive size and scope of the Holocaust?

Across Europe, the Nazis found countless willing helpers who collaborated or were complicit in their crimes. What motives and pressures led so many individuals to persecute, to murder, or to abandon their fellow human beings?

Were there warning signs of what was to come before the Nazis came to power in 1933? Before the start of mass killing in 1941?

In this context, “allies” refers to Axis countries officially allied with Nazi Germany. “Collaborators” refers to regimes and organizations that cooperated with German authorities in an official or semi-official capacity. These German-backed collaborators included some local police forces, bureaucracies, and paramilitary units. The terms “allies” and “collaborators” can also refer to individuals affiliated with these governments and organizations.

Thank you for supporting our work

We would like to thank Crown Family Philanthropies, Abe and Ida Cooper Foundation, the Claims Conference, EVZ, and BMF for supporting the ongoing work to create content and resources for the Holocaust Encyclopedia. View the list of donor acknowledgement .

Essay on Hitler

Students are often asked to write an essay on Hitler in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Hitler

Introduction.

Adolf Hitler, born in Austria in 1889, was a significant figure in world history. He is known as the leader of Nazi Germany from 1934 to 1945.

Rise to Power

Hitler’s rise to power began in the early 1930s. He became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933, and later the dictator in 1934.

World War II

Under Hitler’s leadership, Germany started World War II in 1939. He aimed to establish a new order based on absolute Nazi German hegemony.

End of Hitler

Hitler’s aggressive policies and expansionist ideology are often seen as the causes of the start of World War II. He died by suicide in his bunker in Berlin on 30 April 1945.

250 Words Essay on Hitler

Early life and rise to power, hitler’s ideology and the holocaust.

Hitler’s ideology was a toxic blend of anti-Semitism, Aryan racial superiority, and totalitarianism. His extremist views led to the Holocaust, the genocide of six million Jews, which stands as a stark reminder of the destructive potential of hate and bigotry. Hitler’s Mein Kampf, a manifesto outlining his political ideology and plans for Germany, became a cornerstone of the Nazi regime.

World War II and Hitler’s Downfall

Hitler’s aggressive foreign policies and expansionist ideology were significant causes of World War II. His invasion of Poland in 1939 triggered the war, and his militaristic tactics resulted in the occupation of several European countries. However, the tide turned against Hitler after the failed invasion of the Soviet Union and the entry of the United States into the war. In 1945, with Allied forces closing in, Hitler died by suicide in his bunker in Berlin.

This brief overview of Hitler’s life and impact underscores the dangers of unchecked power, extremist ideologies, and the manipulation of public sentiment, lessons that remain pertinent today.

500 Words Essay on Hitler

Adolf Hitler, a name synonymous with tyranny and destruction, was the Führer and Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945. His policies precipitated World War II and the Holocaust, leading to the genocide of six million Jews. Hitler’s actions and ideology, steeped in anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and Aryan supremacy, have left an indelible scar on human history.

Early Life and Political Inception

Born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, Austria, Hitler’s early life was marked by conflict and hardship. His father, a stern and volatile man, was often at odds with Hitler’s artistic aspirations. Hitler moved to Munich in 1913, and his life took a decisive turn with the outbreak of World War I, where he served with distinction. Post-war Germany, laden with the punitive Treaty of Versailles, was fertile ground for Hitler’s extremist views. He joined the German Workers’ Party in 1919, which later evolved into the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party), and he became its leader in 1921.

Hitler’s Regime

Once in power, Hitler swiftly dismantled Germany’s democratic institutions, establishing a totalitarian regime. The Reichstag fire in 1933 provided him the pretext to enact the Enabling Act, granting him dictatorial powers. Hitler pursued aggressive foreign policies, defying the Treaty of Versailles, and initiated World War II with the invasion of Poland in 1939.

The Holocaust

Hitler’s most abhorrent act was the systematic genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust. His virulent anti-Semitism, articulated in ‘Mein Kampf’, became state policy with the implementation of the “Final Solution” – the extermination of the Jewish people.

Downfall and Legacy

Adolf Hitler, a man whose name evokes images of horror and devastation, changed the course of the 20th century. His reign of terror serves as a grim reminder of the catastrophic consequences of unchecked power, racial hatred, and ideological extremism. As we reflect on Hitler’s life and actions, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the lessons of history are not forgotten, and such atrocities are never repeated.

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Adolf Hitler’s Biography and Achievements Essay

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Introduction

Adolf hitler’s career and leadership.

Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889; he became the ruler of Germany and one of the most reviled persons in history. When Hitler was three years old, his family relocated from Austria to Germany. Adolf constantly fought with his father; therefore, he grew alienated and reclusive. His father disapproved of his preference for fine art above business. Additionally, Hitler displayed an early passion for German nationalism, challenging the authority of Austria-Hungary, and subsequently, it became Hitler’s driving motive in life. Hitler participated in World War I; moreover, the pacification imposed on Germany after that conflict infuriated him; hence he spent the entire time attempting to restore the peace that had ridiculed his adoptive nation. Ideally, the denial of one to pursue their desired career choice can ultimately lead them to develop undesirable characters such as seclusion that will finally lure to them to be tyrants.

Hitler’s political career took shape during his participation in World War I; thence, he formed the National Socialist Workers’ Party in 1919. However, due to the catastrophic economic crisis which Hitler attributed to the Jews, and began a campaign to evacuate them from Germany. Using his movement to fuel his plan against the Jews, he further gained numerous representatives in the German parliament in 1930. Importantly, Hitler employed tactics to exercise his power effectively. For instance, simple and efficient propaganda accomplished the trick. A wide spectrum of individuals and their issues became the Nazis’ goal.

The propaganda is intended to manipulate people’s anxiety about the future. In particular, ‘Bread and Work’ targeted the middle class and the dread of joblessness, while ‘Mother and Child’ portrayed Nazi views about women. Nazi propaganda painted Jews and Communists as enemies of the German nation. Moreover, he used other personalities; Joseph Goebbels was instrumental in the Nazis’ use of propaganda. Hitler appointed Goebbels Gauleiter for Berlin in 1926. Goebbels exploited contemporary and traditional media to reach as many people as possible, including cinema and radio. Moreover, Hitler’s Nazi propaganda employed positive imagery to laud the administration’s officials and actions, creating a rosy picture of the “national community.”

Germans battled to comprehend their country’s unclear destiny in the wake of World War I. Unstable economic circumstances, soaring joblessness, political turmoil, and deep social transformation plagued the populace. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party promised easy answers to Germany’s challenges, capitalizing on fears and prejudices, frustrations, and ambitions to gain widespread support. Furthermore, Hitler was a charismatic and flamboyant leader; hence such attributes bolstered him to power. Adolf Hitler charmed his listeners with significantly convincing speeches, promising them that his empire would rule for a thousand years. Adolf Hitler did not rant against the judges until the Nazis took power in 1933. This was because the German legal system was both federal and profoundly rooted in an independent court’s western Art legal heritage.

However, Hitler’s leadership style was similar to Stalin’s; they were both dictators and killers who shared racial hate for Jews and other ethnic groups. Thus, both tyrants repressed dissent with brutal force and manipulated the press, the police, and the government to become ultimate rulers with complete control over their people. Their egotistical and psychopathic mindsets, combined with extreme paranoia, required absolute obedience from their subordinates. If there is one factor that added to their brief effectiveness as tyrants, it was the propagation of terror.

In summary, Hitler’s political agenda and ideologies, which belittled the Jewish, led to the Holocaust. Theence, it ravaged and impoverished Central, Eastern Europe, and Germany. His actions led to the death of approximately 40 million persons, including around 27 million in the Soviet State. Hitler’s downfall heralded the conclusion of a German-dominated period in European history and the triumph over fascism. Following World War II, a new theoretical global battle, the Cold War, developed.

Aslan, Mahmut Mert. “Hitler’s Way of Propaganda.” ASOS Journal 5, no. 52 (2017): 374-382.

Bailey, Helen. “Transformational Leadership: An Analysis of Adolf Hitler and His Ability to Charismatically Connect with Followers.” Graduate capstone project. Granite State College, 2020.

Graver, Hans Petter. “Why Adolf Hitler Spared the Judges: Judicial Opposition Against the Nazi State.” German Law Journal 19, no. 4 (2018): 845-878.

Husain, Mir Zohair, and Scott Liebertz. “Hitler, Stalin, and Authoritarianism: A Comparative Analysis.” Journal of Psychohistory 47, no. 1 (2019).

O’Shaughnessy, Nicholas. “How Hitler Conquered Germany.” Slate, 14 2017.

Simms, Brendan. “Against a ‘World of Enemies’: The Impact of the First World War on the Development of Hitler’s Ideology.” International Affairs 90, no. 2 (2014): 317-336.

Takala, Tuomo, and Tommi Auvinen. “The Power of Leadership Storytelling: Case of Adolf Hitler.” Tamara: Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry 14, no. 1 (2016).

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Adolf Hitler’s Rise to Power, Impact, and Legacy

Introduction, rise to power, political platform and ideology, foreign policy and the second world war.

Adolf Hitler is one of the most reviled figures in human history, and for a good reason. His leadership turned the nascent democracy of the German Weimar Republic into the worst dictatorship in human history and ignited the Second World War with disastrous results for the people of the world. Considering that, it is immensely important to understand how he came to power and which factors made his regime so inhumane. This paper will cover his rise to power, the main facets of his ideology, his policies leading to the Second World War, and the mark that he and Nazi Germany left upon the world.

In order to understand Hitler’s rise to power, one should have an idea of the situation in Germany after the First World War. The Versailles Treaty that codified the official condition of peace with Germany included numerous territorial concessions to the victorious powers or their satellite states – most notably, France, Britain, Belgium, and Poland (League of Nations 1919). As a result, the German public perceived the treaty as a great national humiliation and resented it. The ideas of restoring Germany to its former glory were popular among the population. In this environment, Hitler – himself a veteran of the First World War – decided to join the recently-founded German Worker’s Party, later transformed into Nazi Party, in 1919 (Longerich 2019).

The party’s platform was heavily based on German nationalism and anti-Semitism as opposed to socialism or the government of the Weimar Republic – Germany’s ruling regime at the time. In 1923, Hitler, having already risen to the status of the party leader, attempted a coup to bring the government down but was defeated, arrested, and jailed (Longerich 2019). However, this first failure did not discourage his pursuit of power.

Hitler has been released from jail after serving only a portion of his sentence and resumed his political effort – this time, trying to get to power constitutionally. It required making the Nazi Party a formidable political force on the domestic scene, which was his primary concern throughout the 1920s. His failed attempt to seize power in 1923 was, nevertheless, a great publicity boost because it made his name known all across Germany. Hitler capitalized on that by utilizing his skills as a speaker and propagandist. His political manifesto, Mein Kampf (literally meaning “My Struggle”), was extremely popular in Germany (British Embassy, 1937).

His speeches also had an immense impact on German audiences, combining nationalist and anti-Semitic rhetoric with intense emotionality (British Embassy, 1937). Some contemporary observers claimed that Hitler was neurotic and subject to fits, although these claims mainly came from anti-Nazi sources and should be taken with a grain of salt (Bernstoff 1937). What is certain is that Hitler and his party reached immense popularity throughout the 1920s and 1930s thanks to his intensely passionate political rhetoric.

In his efforts to expand the Nazi party and secure political power for it, Hitler was able to enlist the help of a number of allies who were instrumental in his rise to power. Ernst Röhm, a member of the Nazi Party from its early days, was instrumental in organizing the Sturmabteilung (SA) – the party’s paramilitary forces (Longerich 2019). His assistance allowed Hitler to engage in political violence before he obtained formal control of the police and the military m– after which he promptly disposed of Röhm in 1934. Joseph Goebbels, a skilled propagandist and capable organizer, worked with Hitler since 1925 and was crucial in expanding the Nazi Party beyond Bavaria (Longerich, 2019). Unlike Röhm, Goebbels did not try to challenge Hitler’s leadership and worked with and for him until the fall of Nazi Germany.

Yet Hitler’s most important allies, in a broader sense, were the representatives of the German industry and military elite. Understanding that business support was instrumental in the pursuit of power through constitutional means, Hitler’s party relied on “ongoing contacts between business and National Socialism” since the early 1930s (Longerich 2019, 234). He was also careful to secure at least the superficial support of the old Prussian landed and military elites. The Day of Potsdam in March 1933, when Hitler greeted President Hindenburg, the hero of the First World War, with a reverential bow, was one of his attempts to demonstrate unity with them (Longerich 2019).

It was also a major reason why Hitler arrested and executed Röhm in 1934. The latter’s plans to reform the German army on the basis of the ideologically indoctrinated SA militia alarmed the old military elites, forcing Hitler to choose between the two (Longerich 2019). The choice in favor of the military sealed Röhm’s fate and ensured a functioning, if not necessarily cordial alliance between Hitler and the German military elite.

However, Germany’s descent toward dictatorship and a one-party state was not inevitable, and Hitler and the Nazis also had fervent opponents in their rise to power. There was no clarity about the political direction that Germany had to go in the 1920s, and the debate on this subject could sway either way. In very general terms, one may identify two political options other than Nazism that were available to Germany at the time. On the one hand, there was the possibility of turning Germany into a constitutional parliamentary republic similar to Western-style democracies.

With liberal German parties being generally weak, the main force that epitomized this approach was the German Center Party, which sought to ward off the left and right extremists of the time (Menke, 2019). On the extreme left, there were the communists, who were also a powerful force in their own right and even installed short-lived revolutionary regimes in Bavaria, Thuringia, and Saxony in the late 1910s and early 1920s (Longerich 2019). In order to secure power, Hitler had to prevail against both these opposing forces.

The Nazi leader did so by manipulating the public opinion on sensitive topics: national humiliation in the First World War and economy. Reparations and the loss of territories that have befallen Germany after the war were extremely unpopular. Moreover, the fact that at the time of the November revolution and the 1918 armistice, the war was still waged on French rather than German territory allowed to portray things as if Germany was not beaten on the battlefield by betrayed from within. Hitler seized on the opportunity to portray his presumably “unpatriotic” communist opponents as “November criminals,” steering the public opinion against them (Longerich 2019, 108).

As for the centrists, Hitler attacked them on the economic front. By 1931, hit by the Great Depression and other problems, Germany experienced one of the worst economic crises in its history yet (Straumann 2019 5-6). Hitler blamed the inherent deficiencies of the constitutional government’s weakness for the crisis, inciting the public opinion against the centrist as well. Thus, manipulating the topics of German national humiliation and economic troubles were the main argument Hitler used to win the debate about Germany’s future.

That is not to say that Hitler achieved power through purely constitutional means. He habitually used the party’s paramilitary forces against the opposing political forces, especially before and during the elections (Longerich 2019). With a combination of skilled political rhetoric and coercive measures, the Nazis became the numerically strongest party in Reichstag in 1930, but short of an absolute majority.

Unable to form a coalition government of other parties, President Hindenburg finally succumbed to the pressure to make Hitler the head of government. Soon after coming to power, Hitler passed emergency legislation allowing him to vigorously repress and eventually ban other parties (Beck and Jones 2019). He also eradicated opposition within his own party, including the purge of the SA, and, after Hindenburg’s death in 1934, assumed the role of the President as well (Beck and Jones 2019, 5-6). Thus, by 1945, Hitler was a dictator in full control of Germany.

The central staple of Hitler’s political platform was his particular version of German nationalism that argued for the inherent superiority of the German or “Aryan” race over all other people on Earth. The authoritative state proclaimed to care for the best interests of the German race and required total obedience in return. Nazi ideology and state control permeated every aspect of German society. Military leaders and religious figures were obligated to swear oaths of loyalty to the Nazi regime and Hitler personally (Longerich 2019, 336).

Education was saturated with political propaganda and ensured the political allegiance of students and faculty alike by weeding out the opponents of the regime (Detzen and Hoffmann 2020). In healthcare, “inferior” peoples were proclaimed unworthy of care, while those of “Aryan” descent were required to be healthy regardless of whether they wanted it or not (Bruns and Chelouche 592). This type of state that permeates every aspect of the society it governs came to be known as totalitarian.

Another essential facet of Hitler’s Nazi ideology was fervent anti-Semitism and anti-communism. He followed and largely influenced the then-popular idea that the German defeat in the First World War was due to the sabotage of the part of German Jewry. As early as 1921, he proclaimed that the Germans had to unite under the Nazi leadership or “come under the thumb of the Jews” (Hitler, 1921). In contrast to communists and socialists, who sought to improve the situation of the working class at the expense of the ruling capitalist class, Hitler (1933) proposed a national identity that surpassed the “differences of rank and class.” As mentioned above, this communal identity was based on the sense of inherent superiority of Germans over all other people and nations on the face of the globe.

The same conviction in the superiority of the German race led him to proclaim that Germany needed more territories and population to ensure its competitiveness in the long term. First and foremost, it required uniting all territories with at least some German population under a single Nazi state. Secondly, Germany had to take the necessary territories from the supposedly inferior neighbors to amass sufficient Lebensraum or living space.

The concept of living space was fairly common among the imperialist powers of the late 19 th and the early 20 th century, including Britain, France, Russia, and even Poland (Balogun 2018). However, Hitler took it to the extreme by aiming for the physical extermination of the races and peoples he deemed inferior – most notably Jews and Slavs. Thus, Hitler’s Nazi ideology was inherently aggressive and bound to put Germany into a confrontation with the rest of Europe – the only question was when.

Hitler’s dedication to uniting all German people within one totalitarian state led him to demand numerous border adjustments in Europe after securing his power over Germany. In early 1938, he annexed Austria in the event known as Anschluss (Longerich 2019, 551). Immediately after, he initiated diplomatic efforts to convince Britain and France to let him annex parts of Czechoslovakia with the German population. The Soviet Union, fearful of the possible conflict with overtly anti-communist Germany, proposed European powers to form a system of collective security for German containment (Carley 2010). However, France and Britain viewed the Soviet Union as an equal, if not greater, threat and decided to concede to German demands instead. The resulting Treaty of Munich allowed German forces to occupy parts of Czechoslovakia and effectively negate its potential threat in the event of a war (Hitler et al. 1938).

Some contemporary observers claimed – and, as time showed with good reason – that the policy of appeasement was a road to disaster (Law 1937). Even though Western powers thought they prevented open conflict, it was merely a delay.

Hitler understood perfectly well that his goal of providing Germany with sufficient living space all across Germany was bound to provoke war sooner or later. Correspondingly, since Hitler came to power, he worked vigorously to restore German military might. Throughout the 1930s, he reinvigorated the German military-industrial complex and gradually convinced foreign powers to lift restrictions on German rearmament imposed after the First World War (Longerich 2019).

He also sought foreign allies and found one in Mussolini due to Fascist Italy’s ideological proximity and imperialist ambitions that provided them with a common agenda (Goeschel 2018). Another ally that Hitler proved able to enlist was Japan, and the Anti-Comintern Pact solidified cooperation between the two powers (Mushakoji and Ribbentrop 1936). Finally, mindful of the failed attempts to enlist Western cooperation in 1934-1938, the Soviet Union signed up a non-aggression pact with Germany containing clauses on dividing Poland and the Baltic states (Molotov and Ribbentrop 1939). From this point onward, the war was predetermined.

Hitler’s military leadership in the Second World War did not prove to be as successful as his political leadership in the rise to power. German armies scored quick victories against Poland and France in 1939-1940 and also effectively established control of the Balkans through satellite governments or direct military occupation (Fritz 2018). However, Britain persisted with its war effort and refused to surrender, which complicated the strategic situation.

In 1941, Hitler proceeded with the invasion of the Soviet Union despite the non-aggression pact he signed two years earlier (Molotov 1939). German forces made quick initial progress but were eventually pinned down with stiff Soviet resistance. After Japan’s attack against Pearl Harbor, Hitler made one of his greatest strategic blunders by declaring war on the United States as well (Fritz 2018). The Allies’ superiority in industry and manpower began to be felt – by 1943, Hitler suffered crippling defeats in Africa, Italy, and the Soviet Union (Fritz 2018). With the Allied landing in Normandy in 1944, the failure of German counterattacks, and the continuing Soviet offensives in the east, it was clear Germany lost the war, and Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945.

The results of Hitler’s rule were nothing short of catastrophic for Germany. Having turned the nascent democracy into the worst dictatorship in human history, he steered the country to the Second World War, even more devastating than the first one. As a result of his policies, Germany was militarily occupied and, after that, separated into two states for almost half a century. His military leadership led to the country ending up in a war against most of the world – a conflict Germany could hardly win even under the most favorable circumstances (Fritz 2018). The human costs of the war in military casualties alone amounted to millions of German soldiers and millions more in other participants combined, predominantly the Soviets. With this in mind, it is impossible to argue that, for all his talk about reinvigorating Germany and leading it to a glorious future, Hitler was a catastrophe for his country, and his leadership had disastrous results for the entire world.

The most impactful legacy that Hitler has left upon the world was the Holocaust – the policy of consistent extermination of supposedly “inferior” peoples, most notably Jews. Throughout his twelve years in power, Hitler authorized the killing of up to 5.6 Jews as well as dozens of millions of people belonging to other ethnicities (Chatel and Ferree n.d.). As such, Hitler remains the political leader responsible for the greatest loss of human life in the shortest time span – and a vivid reminder of the dangers of racism and nationalism.

On the other hand, the severity of German atrocities ensured that the victorious powers in the Second World War put the struggle for human rights and international justice on an entirely new footing. Trials of Nazi politicians and war criminals instituted new principles in international law, such as the responsibility for heads of state, the crime of genocide, and the notion that national sovereignty should not serve as an excuse for crimes against humanity (Plesch 2017, 160). In a way, one may say that atrocities engineered and ordered by Hitler – including but not limited to Holocaust – served as a catalyst for devising and enacting a new, broader vision of universal human rights.

To summarize, Hitler left an immense impact on world history, almost entirely in negative terms. His rise to power in the embittered Germany suffering from recurring economic crises created arguably the worst dictatorship in human history. The ideology of German Nazism, which he created and promoted, stressed the inherent superiority of the German people over every other race and ethnicity. Combined with his aggressive foreign politics in pursuit of more territories, Hitler was the single person most responsible for the outbreak of the Second World War and the death of dozens of millions of people. His legacy, equally disastrous for Germany and the world as a whole, serves as a reminder of the extreme danger of nationalism, racism, and totalitarianism. At the same time, it was also a catalyst the united the world’s powers in their attempts to reshape international law so that the Holocaust could never repeat again.

Balogun, Bolaji. 2018. “Polish Lebensraum : The Colonial Ambition to Expand on Racial Terms.” Ethnic & Racial Studies 41 (14): 2561-2579.

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Bruns, Florian, and Tessa Chelouche. 2017. “ Lectures on Inhumanity: Teaching Medical Ethics in German Medical Schools Under Nazism.” Annals of Internal Medicine 166, (8): 591-595.

Carley, Michael J. 2010. “‘Only the USSR Has… Clean Hands’: The Soviet Perspective on the Failure of Collective Security and the Collapse of Czechoslovakia, 1934–1938 (Part 1).” Diplomacy & Statecraft 21 (2): 202-225.

Chatel, Vincent, and Chuck Ferree. n.d. “ The Victims of the Holocaust: An estimation. ”

Detzen, Dominic, and Sebastian Hoffmann. 2020. “Accountability and Ideology: The Case of a German University under the Nazi Regime.” Accounting History 25, (2): 174-192.

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Who was Adolf Hitler? Books on Hitler (in English) Skip to main content Skip to secondary menu Skip to primary sidebar Skip to footer A Plus Topper Improve your Grades Essay on Adolf Hitler | Adolf Hitler Essay for Students and Children in English February 12, 2024 by sastry Essay on Adolf Hitler: Such was Hitler’s determination and love for his motherland, that he went all out to achieve it. Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April, 1889 at an inn in Austria, to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. He had 5 siblings, out of which the older ones died in infancy. When Hitler was three years old, the family moved to Passan in Germany. In 1895, the family acquired a small plot in Hafeld. The farming failed and in 1898, the family shifted permanently to Leondig. – An Unparalleled Leader You can read more  Essay Writing  about articles, events, people, sports, technology many more. Long Essay on Adolf Hitler 500 Words in English Below we have given a long essay on Adolf Hitler of 500 words is helpful for classes 7, 8, 9 and 10 and Competitive Exam Aspirants. This long essay on the topic is suitable for students of class 7 to class 10, and also for competitive exam aspirants. Hitler’s relations with his father were not good. At 8 years of age, he took singing lessons and sang in Church choir. He thought of becoming a priest. But the death of his younger brother transformed him into a depressed introvert boy. His father wanted him to work in customs like him, ignoring his desire to become an artist. Alois passed away in 1903 and Hitler joined another school. At the start of World War I, Hitler served as a dispatch runner in the Bavarian army. He was felicitated with the rare awards of Iron Cross, First Class. He described the war as ‘the greatest of all experiences’. His patriotism for Germany grew and he was shocked at Germany’s capitulation in 1918. He joined the German Workers Party (DAP) in 1919, which was renamed as National Socialist DAP or NSDAP. Hitler himself designed the party symbol of a ‘Swastika’. He gave speeches against Treaty of Versailles, Marxists and Jews. In 1921, he became the party’s chairman. In 1932, Hitler was elected as the Chancellor of Germany. One of the main concepts of Nazism was ‘Racial hygiene’. Marriage between Jews and non-Jews was not permitted and ‘non-Aryans’ were deprived of the benefits of German citizenship. Between 1939 and 1945, around 6 million Jews were murdered. It is commonly referred to as the Holocaust. It amounted to two-thirds of Jewish population in Europe. In 1938, Hitler signed the Munich Treaty which attached Sudetenland districts to Germany. In 1941, Hitler violated the non-aggression pact with Stalin, invading Soviet Union. Following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, Germany was face-to-face with the other three powers—US, Britain and Soviet Union. After 1942, Germany suffered several defeats. On 29th April, 1945, Hitler married Eva Braun. He was informed soon of the assassination of Italian dictator Mussolini. So, terrified of surrendering to enemies, he and Eva committed suicide on 30th April, 1945. “Do not compare yourself to others. If you do so, you are insulting yourself ” -Adolf Hitler While we loathe at Hitler for his genocide of millions of innocent people, we can also take a leaf or two, out of his positive side. There were a number of rare qualities in him, which we can certainly imbibe. He had excellent leadership and oratorical skills. When he spoke, everybody used to listen and become charged. He never used to be tired of travelling from town-to-town and gave several speeches in a single day. He united a depressed and demoralised nation. He was zealous and wanted his nation to have a mission. He built several freeways. Under him, the V 2 technology to send rockets into space, was invented. He banned the use of atomic weapons, smoking, alcohol and meat. He infact, freed many small nations from the rule of Britain and France. Even though, we can’t go back in time to correct his mistakes, we can definitely take inspiration from his positive attributes. Hitler was a villain, no doubt, but there was a leader in him, which few have acknowledged. There was never someone like him in the annals of world history and perhaps won’t ever be again in future. Adolf Hitler Essay Word Meanings for Simple Understanding Introvert – a shy person Felicitated – to compliment upon a happy event Capitulation – a treaty or agreement by which subjects of one country residing or travelling in another are extended extra territorial rights or special privileges Assassination – to kill suddenly or secretively, especially a politically prominent person, murder premeditately and cherously Loathe – to feel disgust or intense aversion for, abhor Genocide – the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political or cultural group Imbibe – assimilate Oratorical – of, pertaining to, or characteristic of an orator or oratory Attributes – something attributed as belonging to a person, thing, group, etc., a quality, character or property Annals – a record of events, especially a yearly record, usually in chronological order Picture Dictionary English Speech English Slogans English Letter Writing English Essay Writing English Textbook Answers Types of Certificates ICSE Solutions Selina ICSE Solutions ML Aggarwal Solutions HSSLive Plus One HSSLive Plus Two Kerala SSLC Distance Education Teaching Resources Upcoming Events On-demand Events Hitler's First Radio Address The Holocaust Human & Civil Rights facebook sharing email sharing On February 1, 1933, two days after he was appointed chancellor, Hitler spoke over the radio to the German people about his vision for the future of the country: Over fourteen years have passed since that unhappy day when the German people, blinded by promises made by those at home and abroad, forgot the highest values of our past, of the Reich, of its honor and its freedom, and thereby lost everything. Since those days of treason, the Almighty has withdrawn his blessing from our nation. Discord and hatred have moved in. Filled with the deepest distress, millions of the best German men and women from all walks of life see the unity of the nation disintegrating in a welter of egotistical political opinions, economic interests, and ideological conflicts. As so often in our history, Germany, since the day the revolution broke out, presents a picture of heartbreaking disunity. We did not receive the equality and fraternity which was promised us; instead we lost our freedom. The breakdown of the unity of mind and will of our nation at home was followed by the collapse of its political position abroad. We have a burning conviction that the German people in 1914 went into the great battle without any thought of personal guilt [for the start of the war] and weighed down only by the burden of having to defend the Reich from attack, to defend the freedom and material existence of the German people. In the appalling fate that has dogged us since November 1918 we see only the consequence of our inward collapse. But the rest of the world is no less shaken by great crises. The historical balance of power, which at one time contributed not a little to the understanding of the necessity for solidarity among the nations, with all the economic advantages resulting therefrom, has been destroyed. The delusion that some are the conquerors and others the conquered destroys the trust between nations and thereby also destroys the world economy. But the misery of our people is terrible! The starving industrial proletariat [working class] have become unemployed in their millions, while the whole middle and artisan class have been made paupers. If the German farmer also is involved in this collapse we shall be faced with a catastrophe of vast proportions. For in that case, there will collapse not only a Reich, but also a 2000-year-old inheritance of the highest works of human culture and civilization. All around us are symptoms portending this breakdown. With an unparalleled effort of will and of brute force the Communist method of madness is trying as a last resort to poison and undermine an inwardly shaken and uprooted nation. They seek to drive it towards an epoch which would correspond even less to the promises of the Communist speakers of today than did the epoch now drawing to a close to the promises of the same emissaries in November 1918. Starting with the family, and including all notions of honor and loyalty, nation and fatherland, culture and economy, even the eternal foundations of our morals and our faith—nothing is spared by this negative, totally destructive ideology. . . . One year of Bolshevism would destroy Germany. The richest and most beautiful areas of world civilization would be transformed into chaos and a heap of ruins. Even the misery of the past decade and a half could not be compared with the affliction of a Europe in whose heart the red flag of destruction had been planted. The thousands of injured, the countless dead which this battle has already cost Germany may stand as a presage of the disaster. In these hours of overwhelming concern for the existence and the future of the German nation, the venerable World War leader [President Paul von Hindenburg] appealed to us men of the nationalist parties and associations to fight under him again as once we did at the front, but now loyally united for the salvation of the Reich at home. The revered President of the Reich having with such generosity joined hands with us in a common pledge, we nationalist leaders would vow before God, our conscience and our people that we shall doggedly and with determination fulfill the mission entrusted to us as the National Government. It is an appalling inheritance which we are taking over. The task before us is the most difficult which has faced German statesmen in living memory. But we all have unbounded confidence, for we believe in our nation and in its eternal values. Farmers, workers, and the middle class must unite to contribute the bricks wherewith to build the new Reich. The National Government will therefore regard it as its first and supreme task to restore to the German people unity of mind and will. It will preserve and defend the foundations on which the strength of our nation rests. It will take under its firm protection Christianity as the basis of our morality, and the family as the nucleus of our nation and our state. Standing above estates [groups that make up society’s social hierarchy] and classes, it will bring back to our people the consciousness of its racial and political unity and the obligations arising therefrom. It wishes to base the education of German youth on respect for our great past and pride in our old traditions. . . . Germany must not and will not sink into Communist anarchy. In place of our turbulent instincts, it will make national discipline govern our life. In the process it will take into account all the institutions which are the true safeguards of the strength and power of our nation. The National Government will carry out the great task of reorganizing our national economy with two big Four-Year Plans: Saving the German farmer so that the nation’s food supply and thus the life of the nation shall be secured. Saving the German worker by a massive and comprehensive attack on unemployment. In fourteen years the November parties have ruined the German farmer. In fourteen years they created an army of millions of unemployed. The National Government will carry out the following plan with iron resolution and dogged perseverance. Within four years the German farmer must be saved from pauperism. Within four years unemployment must be completely overcome . . . . . . Our concern to provide daily bread will be equally a concern for the fulfillment of the responsibilities of society to those who are old and sick. The best safeguard against any experiment which might endanger the currency lies in economical administration, the promotion of work, and the preservation of agriculture, as well as in the use of individual initiative. In foreign policy, the National Government will see its highest mission in the preservation of our people’s right to an independent life and in the regaining thereby of their freedom. The determination of this Government to put an end to the chaotic conditions in Germany is a step towards the integration into the community of nations of a state having equal status and therefore equal rights with the rest. In so doing, the Government is aware of its great obligation to support, as the Government of a free and equal nation, that maintenance and consolidation of peace which the world needs today more than ever before. May all others understand our position and so help to ensure that this sincere desire for the welfare of Europe and of the whole world shall find fulfillment. Despite our love for our Army as the bearer of our arms and the symbol of our great past, we should be happy if the world, by restricting its armaments, made unnecessary any increase in our own weapons. But if Germany is to experience this political and economic revival and conscientiously to fulfill its duties towards other nations, a decisive act is required: We must overcome the demoralization of Germany by the Communists. We, men of this Government, feel responsible to German history for the reconstitution of a proper national body so that we may finally overcome the insanity of class and class warfare. We do not recognize classes, but only the German people, its millions of farmers, citizens and workers who together will either overcome this time of distress or succumb to it. With resolution and fidelity to our oath, seeing the powerlessness of the present Reichstag to shoulder the task we advocate, we wish to commit it to the whole German people. We therefore appeal now to the German people to sign this act of mutual reconciliation. The Government of the National Uprising [the Nazi-led government] wishes to set to work, and it will work. It has not for fourteen years brought ruin to the German nation; it wants to lead it to the summit. It is determined to make amends in four years for the liabilities of fourteen years. But it cannot subject the work of reconstruction to the will of those who were responsible for the breakdown. The Marxist parties [political parties including the Social Democrats] and their followers had fourteen years to prove their abilities. The result is a heap of ruins. Now, German people, give us four years and then judge us. Let us begin, loyal to the command of the Field-Marshal. May Almighty God favor our work, shape our will in the right way, bless our vision and bless us with the trust of our people. We have no desire to fight for ourselves; only for Germany. 1 Connection Questions What picture does Hitler paint of Germany? What words does he use to describe the country? What does he say about the past? How does he describe the future? How does Hitler describe the work that must be done? What words or phrases does he use to describe it? Why might people in Germany in 1933 have found his message attractive? Based on this speech, who does Hitler place inside and outside of Germany’s universe of obligation? Why do you think Hitler chose not to mention Jews in this speech? 1 Jeremy Noakes and Geoffrey Pridham, eds., Nazism 1919–1945: A Documentary Reader, vol. 1: The Rise to Power 1919–1934 (Liverpool, UK: Liverpool University Press, 1998), 131–34. 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For years the question that still remains is was this final solution an intentional plan created by Hitler, made ahead of time or was it a last minute decision based off of the circumstances surrounding Germany? These two groups have been in disagreement for years attempting to find the answer when the truth is, there is no real answer. […] Adolf Hitler Biography On April 20, 1889 Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. Adolf was the fourth child out of six. Growing up Adolf and his father always butted heads. His father was very emotionally harsh on him pushing Adolf further away from his family. In 1900, Adolfs younger brother Edmund died, and that was when Adolf cut the strings and became detached to his family. At an early age Hitler began showing an […] Adolf Hitler’s Life Adolf Hitler, born in Braunau am Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889, has an interesting history to say the least. He had five siblings and was born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. His father was an emotionally harsh man and didn't accept Adolf's career choice in fine arts later on in his life. He attempted to grow as much as he can in what he loved but he changed courses into something he never imagined of doing. During his […] The Holocaust and Human Nature There are less than eighty Holocaust survivors today. As they pass away we need to tell their stories so we know the truth. We want to remember them and never forget what they did. Throughout this paper, we will examine the rise, fall and the impact of the Holocaust. We want to be thankful that there some survivors to bring us there stories so we can prevent this event from happening again. Let's not have this event happen again. The […] Dictators of the World – Adolf Hitler When it comes to the worst dictators of the world, there is undeniably only one that many think of when that word is discussed, Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler was born on April 20th, 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria. Adolf Hitler was one of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. As stated in Hitler's biography, often times Hitler would clash with his father who was emotionally harsh. Later discovered, apparently Hitler's father never truly approved of his […] About Adolf Hitler in History One of the most devastating events to happen in the world caused by a man who could have done good instead of bad. Having thousands stand with him, he could have changed the world for the better. From the essay about Hitler, you can learn that he was not always a jew hating german.. Hitler was once just an ordinary boy who was born on April 20th 1889 in Austria-Hungary. Adolf grew up with a family of 6 being the […] The Rise of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party To what extent did the rise of Adolf Hitler and his nazi party cause WW2. "Adolf Hitler As for the Origin of this article, it doesn't state who created it, when was it created, or where did it come from but the Purpose of this article was to inform people who were curious as to how Adolf Hitler and the rise of his nazi party caused World War 2. This essay on Adolf Hitler tells how he grew to be […] Adolf Hitler Ended Germany’s Democracy Adolf Hitler ended Germany's democracy and doomed six million Jews. To this day, Hitler is one of the cruelest people the world has ever seen because of his persecution of not only Jews but of 11 million people. After reading the book Night and completing my research on the topic of Adolf Hitler Birth - 1933, I have learned so much about the dark period known as the Holocaust. Adolf Hitler was reportedly distant and sometimes depressed as a child […] Societal Impacts of World War II on America On September 1, 1939, World War II began with Germany invading Poland due to Adolf Hitler’s belief that the Aryan race was superior and that the Jews were the cause of all of Europe’s problems at the time, especially Germany. During this war, Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to remain neutral, but after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the United States joined into the war effort. During 1941 the United States was still trying to recover from the […] Adolf Hitler’s Rise to Power: the Confluence of Factors Leading to a Dark Era Introduction The ascent of Adolf Hitler to power in Germany is a haunting chapter in the annals of history. This essay delves into the complex web of circumstances, ideologies, and events that facilitated Hitler's rise to power, shedding light on the socio-political climate in post-World War I Germany and the consequences that followed. 1. Germany's Post-World War I Landscape: In the aftermath of World War I, Germany was a nation reeling from the catastrophic effects of defeat and the crippling […] Short Biography of Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was born on 20 april 1889 in Austria-Hungary where he lived with his family: Klara Polzi (his mother), Alois Hitler (his father)and Alois's children from his previous marriage. When Adolf became three, they moved to Passau, Germany. There he got influenced by west Germanic or bavarian accents,this would linger in his speech trough adult-hood which in my opinion helped him with his speeches when he came to power. After living in Germany for a couple of years, Adolf […] Untangling the Myth: Adolf Hitler’s Dietary Habits One of the most notorious figures in modern history, Adolf Hitler, has been the subject of countless biographies, studies, and analyses. Beyond his political maneuvers and heinous war crimes, scholars have often been intrigued by various aspects of his personal life. One such aspect that has garnered attention and led to significant speculation is his diet. The question arises: Was Adolf Hitler really a vegetarian? Historical records and personal accounts of those who were close to Hitler suggest that he […] How did the Treaty of Versailles Caused World War 2 The only thing needed for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing. Those who act selfishly and maliciously are not particularly part of the majority in their ways of thinking and behaving. All it takes is a few good people to get the tail blazing and doing what needs to be done to keep evil from prevailing. Over the course of history many have been the victims of tyranny and overt xenophobic ruling. World War II and […] World War II as the most Influential Events in History World War II was one of the most influential events in world history. Not only did it shape the way the modern world works, it influenced the multitude of governments within it and changed the course of history. There was 16 allied nations fighting with 7 axis nations killing 40,000,000 to 50,000,000 people making it the deadliest conflict in human history. Nazi Germany had one of the biggest roles in WW2 because of many reasons. WW2 started on September 1, […] Genocide: the Nazis’ Original Plan The Holocaust, which took place during 1933-1945, was a devastating period of time when the German Nazi's planned to mass murder European Jews. The literal term 'Holocaust' originates from the Hebrew Bible's term olah meaning a sacrifice that is offered up. This was a frightening time for everyone, Jewish and non-Jewish. Approximately six million people were killed as a result of the Holocaust (Roth). Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany at the time, hated Jews and blamed them for all […] Comparing World War i and World War II World War I was one of the greatest wars of all time. It was very hard times for the world, as people all around were constantly in fear of what could be their tomorrow. But it wasn't always this horrid, as certain events let to this point in history. Everyone surrounded by moods changing before, during, and after the Great War. The conflict between different countries led to what could've been an even greater disaster. Before World War I, the […] The Dictatorial Leader of Germany in World War II Adolf Hitler, the dictatorial leader of Germany in World War II, made many tragic mistakes that cost Germany the war and prevented them from gaining Lebensraum. Throughout the course of the war, Hitler made many decisions that ultimately did not benefit the country as a whole, like invading Russia. The Germans were easily defeated in Russia due to Blitzkrieg being delayed five weeks because Hitler decided to aid his friend Mussolini, prime minister of Italy, in Greece. This resulted in […] Jonathan Schaeffer: a Glimpse into Erwin Schulhoff’s Life         In 1901, Louise Wolff spent time trying to convince Antonio Dvorak to examine her son, Erwin Schulhoff, for his extraordinary talent displayed at a young age. Antonio Dvorak who wasn't too fond of child prodigies tested young Schulhoff on his ability to recognize pitches and harmonies. Schulhoff must have impressed Antonio Dvorak because he was rewarded with a recommendation for private piano study at Prague Conservatory. Schulhoff studied at Prague Conservatory until 1906 and continued to study piano, theory, and […] What is it that Made Germany and Japan do such a Terrible Act? It has been a while since World War II, but the atrocities committed against humans in Germany and Japan are still vivid: human trials, massacres, racial discrimination, bacterial weapons, etc. are all unforgivable crimes committed against the world. So what is it that made Germany and Japan do such a terrible act? What horrible things have they done? First, why are they doing such atrocious things? As the leader of the Nazi Party, Hitler was very hated for the Jews. […] World War Ll in History Over 6 million jews died all in one period of time. All those people died in the holocaust because of Adolf Hitler and his Nazi group. The Holocaust changed the world forever, and is something we will never forget. Jews and many others had to experience harsh conditions, and the Holocaust made such a huge impact on our world. On the evening of April 20, 1889, at an inn called the Gasthof Zum Pommer in the village of Braunau Am […] The Effects that World War i and World War II had on Minority Groups in America At the beginning of the 1900s, many problems were arising overseas that would eventually lead to the First World War. The expansion of the war happened quickly. Overall, thirty-two nations were involved. Twenty-eight of which were a part of the Associated powers (the Allies). The Allies included the British Empire, France, Serbia, the United States of America, Italy, and Russia. The Central Powers that opposed them were Bulgaria, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and the Ottoman Empire. In the beginning, President Woodrow Wilson […] Why should we Never Forget the Holocaust I think that it is important to learn about the holocaust and what had happened during it. From the beginning of the holocaust when it all started, 1933, when hitler became power over germany, none of it was right or acceptable. Learning about the holocaust is something that everyone in the world should know about. Knowing what happened should be enough to make sure that this action never takes place again because of how brutal and harsh it was. Humans […] Height : 175 cm Nationality : German Spouse : Eva Braun (m. 1945–1945) Additional Example Essays Hitler's Rise to Power in History Compare And Contrast In WW1 And WW2 Logical Fallacies in Letter From Birmingham Jail Analysis of Letter from Birmingham Jail The Importance of Professional Bearing in the Military Research Paper #1 – The Trail of Tears “Allegory of the Cave” Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address The Philosophies of W.E.B Du Bois and Booker T. Washington Cons Police Discretion Communist Movements Affected Women’s Struggle The Right to Equality About Adolf Hitler Born: April 20, 1889, Braunau am Inn Died: April 30, 1945 Cause of death: Suicide Spouse: Eva Braun 1. Tell Us Your Requirements 2. Pick your perfect writer 3. Get Your Paper and Pay Hi! I'm Amy, your personal assistant! Don't know where to start? Give me your paper requirements and I connect you to an academic expert. short deadlines 100% Plagiarism-Free Certified writers Home — Essay Samples — History — Adolf Hitler — The Life of Adolf Hitler and His Defeat in World War II The Life of Adolf Hitler and His Defeat in World War Ii Categories: Adolf Hitler About this sample Words: 2663 | 14 min read Published: Oct 22, 2018 Words: 2663 | Pages: 6 | 14 min read Cite this Essay Let us write you an essay from scratch 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours Get high-quality help Dr. Karlyna PhD Verified writer Expert in: History + 120 experts online By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email No need to pay just yet! 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His dictatorial regime initiated World War [...] Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi Party and the Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, is one of the most infamous figures in history. His leadership skills and ability to mobilize the German people towards his vision of an [...] Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nazi party and the dictator of Germany during World War II, is a figure that continues to be both fascinating and repulsive to historians and the general public alike. His leadership style, marked [...] On February 10, 1933, Adolf Hitler delivered his first radio address, dubbed Proclamation to the German Nation. On this historic night, the audience – a nation of disillusioned people that had been suffering and thrown into [...] Related Topics By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails. Where do you want us to send this sample? 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Instructions Followed To The Letter Deadlines Met At Every Stage Unique And Plagiarism Free 110 COMMENTS Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (born April 20, 1889, Braunau am Inn, Austria—died April 30, 1945, Berlin, Germany) was the leader of the Nazi Party (from 1920/21) and chancellor ( Kanzler) and Führer of Germany (1933-45). His worldview revolved around two concepts: territorial expansion and racial supremacy. Adolf Hiter: Rise to Power, Impact & Death Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, a small Austrian town near the Austro-German frontier. After his father, Alois, retired as a state customs official, young Adolf spent ... Biography of Adolf Hitler: [Essay Example], 770 words Adolf Hitler was a German politician and leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party). He rose to power as Chancellor of Germany in 1933 and later Führer in 1934. His dictatorial regime initiated World War II in Europe and was responsible for the Holocaust, in which approximately six million Jews were killed. Essays on Adolf Hitler 2 pages / 1045 words. Introduction The genesis of a tragic event that would reshape the course of history occurred on September 1st, 1939, when Adolf Hitler, the leader of Germany, initiated the invasion of Poland. Hitler's vision centered around the creation of a purportedly superior Aryan race, a notion... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 - 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. His invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939 marks the start of the Second World War. PDF OVERVIEW ESSAY HOW DID HITLER HAPPEN? undesarchiv, Bild 183-2004-1202-504.)Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany in 1933 following a series of. lectoral victories by the Nazi Party. He ruled absolutely unt. l his death by suicide in April 1945. Upon achieving power, Hitler smashed the nation's democratic institutions and transformed Germany into a war state intent on ... Introduction to the Holocaust Introduction to the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million European Jews by the Nazi German regime and its allies and collaborators. The Holocaust was an evolving process that took place throughout Europe between 1933 and 1945. Antisemitism was at the foundation of the Holocaust. Man and Monster: The Life of Adolf Hitler Essay (Biography) For example, he avoided explaining how he would raise the economy of Germany. A good leader should have a vision. With a positive attitude towards his nation, he would have realized the harm he had caused the people he led (Iorg, 30). If Hitler was a respectable leader, he would not have had an affair with his niece. The Rise of Hitler to Power Introduction. Adolf Hitler rose to power as the chancellor of Germany in 1933 through a legal election and formed a coalition government of the NSDAO-DNVP Party. Many issues in Hitler's life and manipulations behind the curtains preceded this event. Get a custom essay on The Rise of Hitler to Power. 190 writers online. Essay on Hitler for Students 500 Words Essay on Hitler Introduction. Adolf Hitler, a name synonymous with tyranny and destruction, was the Führer and Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945. His policies precipitated World War II and the Holocaust, leading to the genocide of six million Jews. Hitler's actions and ideology, steeped in anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and Aryan ... The Life of Adolf Hitler: Understanding The Emergence of a Monster Introduction. Adolf Hitler, one of the most infamous figures in history, remains a subject of fascination and horror. Despite his destructive actions, understanding his life and experiences is crucial for comprehending the factors that contributed to the manifestation of a monster. ... Leadership Skills of Adolf Hitler Essay. Adolf Hitler, the ... Adolf Hitler's Biography and Achievements Essay Introduction. Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889; he became the ruler of Germany and one of the most reviled persons in history. When Hitler was three years old, his family relocated from Austria to Germany. ... Get a custom essay on Adolf Hitler's Biography and Achievements---writers online . Learn More . Adolf Hitler's Career and ... Adolf Hitler's Rise to Power, Impact, and Legacy Rise to Power. In order to understand Hitler's rise to power, one should have an idea of the situation in Germany after the First World War. The Versailles Treaty that codified the official condition of peace with Germany included numerous territorial concessions to the victorious powers or their satellite states - most notably, France, Britain, Belgium, and Poland (League of Nations 1919). THHP Short Essay: Who was Adolf Hitler? Adolf Hitler was the Führer (Leader) of Nazi Germany, the instigator of World War II and the driving force behind the attempt to exterminate European Jewry, otherwise known as the Final Solution or the Holocaust. Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, in Austria, on April 20, 1889, the third son of Alois and Klara Hitler. Essay on Adolf Hitler February 12, 2024 by sastry. Essay on Adolf Hitler: Such was Hitler's determination and love for his motherland, that he went all out to achieve it. Adolf Hitler was born on 20th April, 1889 at an inn in Austria, to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. He had 5 siblings, out of which the older ones died in infancy. When Hitler was three years old ... Hitler's First Speech as Chancellor Share to Google Classroom. On February 1, 1933, two days after he was appointed chancellor, Hitler spoke over the radio to the German people about his vision for the future of the country: Over fourteen years have passed since that unhappy day when the German people, blinded by promises made by those at home and abroad, forgot the highest ... Adolf Hitler Free essay examples about Adolf Hitler ️ Proficient writing team ️ High-quality of every essay ️ Largest database of free samples on PapersOwl. ... Introduction Hitler was judge of Germany from 1933 to 1945, serving as leader of the Nazi Party, for the bulk of his time in power. With defeat on the horizon, Hitler committed suicide with ... A Report on Adolf Hitler's Life and Impact Published: Oct 31, 2018. Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, serving as dictator and leader of the Nazi Party, or National Socialist German Workers Party, for most of his time in power. Hitler's policies started World War II and led to the genocide known as the Holocaust, which resulted in the deaths of some six million ... Essay on Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler was born April 20, 1889, in a small town in Australia called Branuan. His dad's name was Alios Hitler and was a customs official. He was 51 years old when Adolf was born. Klara Polz, Adolf's mother, was a farm girl and was 28 when Adolf was born. Klara and Alios had 6 children , but only Adolf and his sister Paula survived childhood. Essay on Hitler Better Essays. 2846 Words. 12 Pages. Open Document. INTRODUCTION. Hitler was an incredibly gifted person. He was an intelligent speaker, as he managed to sway 14.7 million people to vote for him even though his ideas were unpopular. Hitler was able to take over half of Europe with a country that was heavily in debt and had poor morale. Adolf Hitler Essay Hitler and the Rise of the Nazi Party Adolf Hitler, the man above men, known for being the leader and influencing the country of Germany induced the massive killing of the Jews. Hitler was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau, Austria and died April 30, 1945 in Berlin, Germany. Hitler died by committing suicide after he had been hiding in his ... Adolf Hitler Essay Essay On Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler: Führer Adolf Hitler killed over 60 million people for believing in one thing- their belief in Judaism. Adolf Hitler was a very powerful man that had one goal in sight, to change society. He was responsible for an important part of our history. The Life of Adolf Hitler and His Defeat in World War Ii Adolf Hitler was chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, serving as dictator and leader of the Nazi Party, or National Socialist German Workers Party, for the bulk of his time in power. Hitler's policies precipitated World War II and led to the genocide known as the Holocaust, which resulted in the deaths of some six million Jews and another ... AOC files articles of impeachment against Supreme Court Justices ... The Supreme Court did not immediately return a request for comment on the introduction of impeachment articles. The resolutions were co-sponsored by Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Rashida Tlaib, D ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis