(1889-1945)

Question

Who Was Adolf Hitler?
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 fascist 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 five million noncombatants. Family
The fourth of six children, Hitler was born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. As a child, Hitler clashed frequently with his emotionally harsh father, who also didn't approve of his son's later interest in fine art as a career.

Following the death of his younger brother, Edmund, in 1900, Hitler became detached and introverted.

Young Hitler
Hitler showed an early interest in German nationalism, rejecting the authority of Austria-Hungary. This nationalism would become the motivating force of Hitler's life.

In 1903, Hitler’s father died suddenly. Two years later, Hitler's mother allowed her son to drop out of school. After her death in December 1907, Hitler moved to Vienna and worked as a casual laborer and watercolor painter. He applied to the Academy of Fine Arts twice and was rejected both times.

Lacking money outside of an orphan's pension and funds from selling postcards, he stayed in homeless shelters. Hitler later pointed to these years as the time when he first cultivated his anti-Semitism, though there is some debate about this account.

In 1913, Hitler relocated to Munich. At the outbreak of World War I, he applied to serve in the German army. He was accepted in August 1914, though he was still an Austrian citizen.

Although Hitler spent much of his time away from the front lines (with some reports that his recollections of his time on the field were generally exaggerated), he was present at a number of significant battles and was wounded at the Battle of the Somme. He was decorated for bravery, receiving the Iron Cross First Class and the Black Wound Badge.

Hitler became embittered over the collapse of the war effort. The experience reinforced his passionate German patriotism, and he was shocked by Germany's surrender in 1918. Like other German nationalists, he purportedly believed that the German army had been betrayed by civilian leaders and Marxists. He found the Treaty of Versailles degrading, particularly the demilitarization of the Rhineland and the stipulation that Germany accepts responsibility for starting the war. Nazi Germany and Speeches
After World War I, Hitler returned to Munich and continued to work for the German military. As an intelligence officer, he monitored the activities of the German Workers’ Party (DAP) and adopted many of the anti-Semitic, nationalist and anti-Marxist ideas of party founder Anton Drexler.

In September 1919, Hitler joined the DAP, which changed its name to the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) — often abbreviated to Nazi.

Hitler personally designed the Nazi party banner, appropriating the swastika symbol and placing it in a white circle on a red background. He soon gained notoriety for his vitriolic speeches against the Treaty of Versailles, rival politicians, Marxists and Jews. In 1921, Hitler replaced Drexler as the Nazi party chairman.

Hitler's fervid beer-hall speeches began attracting regular audiences. Early followers included army captain Ernst Rohm, the head of the Nazi paramilitary organization the Sturmabteilung (SA), which protected meetings and frequently attacked political opponents.

Beer Hall Putsch
On November 8, 1923, Hitler and the SA stormed a public meeting featuring Bavarian prime minister Gustav Kahr at a large beer hall in Munich. Hitler announced that the national revolution had begun and declared the formation of a new government.

After a short struggle that led to several deaths, the coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch failed. Hitler was arrested and tried for high treason and sentenced to nine months in prison.

'Mein Kampf'
During Hitler’s nine months in prison in 1924, he dictated most of the first volume of his autobiographical book and political manifesto, Mein Kampf ("My Struggle"), to his deputy, Rudolf Hess. The first volume was published in 1925, and a second volume came out in 1927. It was abridged and translated into 11 languages, selling more than five million copies by 1939. A work of propaganda and falsehoods, the book laid out Hitler's plans for transforming German society into one based on race.

In the first volume, Hitler shared his Anti-Semitic, pro-Aryan worldview along with his sense of “betrayal” at the outcome of World War I, calling for revenge against France and expansion eastward into Russia.

The second volume outlined his plan to gain and maintain power. While often illogical and full of grammatical errors, Mein Kampf was provocative and subversive, making it appealing to the many Germans who felt displaced at the end of World War I.

Rise to Power
With millions unemployed, the Great Depression in Germany provided a political opportunity for Hitler. Germans were ambivalent to the parliamentary republic and increasingly open to extremist options. In 1932, Hitler ran against 84-year-old Paul von Hindenburg for the presidency.

Hitler came in second in both rounds of the election, garnering more than 36 percent of the vote in the final count. The results established Hitler as a strong force in German politics. Hindenburg reluctantly agreed to appoint Hitler as chancellor in order to promote political balance.

Hitler as Führer
Hitler used his position as chancellor to form a de facto legal dictatorship. The Reichstag Fire Decree, announced after a suspicious fire at Germany's parliament building, suspended basic rights and allowed detention without trial.

Hitler also engineered the passage of the Enabling Act, which gave his cabinet full legislative powers for a period of four years and allowed for deviations from the constitution.
Questions
1. When and where was Hitler born?
2. Briefly explain Hitler’s youth and life with his parents.
3. According to Hitler, at what point in his life did his anti-Semitism (prejudice
towards Jewish people) begin?
4. How did Hitler view the outcome of WWI for Germany?
5. The Treaty of Versailles was the trey imposed upon Germany by the Allies
following WWI. How did Hitler feel about it?
6. After WWI, explain Hitler’s role in Germany politics.
7. What was the “Beer Hall Putsch”? What did it cause?
8. What is “Mein Kampf”? Explain.

Answer 1

1. When and where was Hitler born? Adolf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary (now Austria).

2. Briefly explain Hitler’s youth and life with his parents. Hitler was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Polzl. He had a tumultuous relationship with his strict father, which led to frequent clashes. After the death of his younger brother, Edmund, in 1900, Hitler became detached and introverted. Following the death of his mother in 1907, he moved to Vienna, where he struggled financially and faced rejection in his aspirations to become an artist.

3. According to Hitler, at what point in his life did his anti-Semitism begin? Hitler later claimed that his anti-Semitism began during his years in Vienna when he was living in homeless shelters and struggling to support himself.

4. How did Hitler view the outcome of WWI for Germany? Hitler felt embittered over Germany's defeat in World War I and believed that the German army had been betrayed by civilian leaders and Marxists. He was shocked by Germany's surrender and viewed the outcome as a humiliating betrayal.

5. The Treaty of Versailles was the treaty imposed upon Germany by the Allies following WWI. How did Hitler feel about it? Hitler found the Treaty of Versailles degrading, particularly the demilitarization of the Rhineland and the clause that imposed responsibility for starting the war on Germany. He viewed it as a humiliation and a source of national resentment.

6. After WWI, explain Hitler’s role in German politics. After WWI, Hitler worked as an intelligence officer and monitored the activities of the German Workers’ Party (DAP). He became involved in politics, joining the party, which later rebranded as the Nazi Party (NSDAP). He developed a following through his incendiary speeches and eventually became the party chairman.

7. What was the “Beer Hall Putsch”? What did it cause? The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed coup attempt by Hitler and the SA in November 1923 to seize power during a public meeting in Munich. The putsch resulted in several deaths, Hitler's arrest, and a trial for high treason, leading to a nine-month prison sentence.

8. What is “Mein Kampf”? Explain. "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle) is Adolf Hitler's autobiographical book and political manifesto, dictated during his imprisonment in 1924. It outlines his anti-Semitic and pro-Aryan worldview, as well as his grievances regarding the outcome of World War I. The first volume was published in 1925, followed by a second volume in 1927, and it became a significant propaganda text that sold millions of copies, promoting his vision for German society and his plans for gaining and maintaining power.