Adolf Hitler
20 April 1889 - 30 April 1945
1920 -1921 Leader of Nazi Party
1933-1945 Führer of Germany
Adolf Hitler led Germany into World War II. He was born in Austria in 1889 to Alois Hitler, an intelligent customs agent. When World War I broke out, Adolf volunteered for the German Army. During his time in the army, Hitler gave speeches against the Jews and Marxists. Hitler saw Marxism as part of a Jewish conspiracy. After the war, Hitler was stationed in Bavaria and his job was to give political speeches in support of Germany. After Germany’s humiliation and severe economic depression following the Versailles treaty with the mandate for Germany to pay war reparations, the German soldiers found Hitler’s lectures to be very interesting. Hitler became a spy for Germany against Marxist parties. Hitler joined the German Workers Party, which became the Nationalist Socialist German Workers Party. This was later known as the Nazi Party. Within this party, Hitler formed the STURM ABTEILING or the stormtroopers who harassed and directed violence against socialist groups. As Germany suffered economically, unable to pay reparations and suffering poverty for many Germans, Hitler’s rallies against the Allies, the Marxists, the Jews, and all non-Aryans, became more popular. Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, his autobiography where he explained his philosophies and propaganda techniques. Hitler’s argument that the German race was superior and that they had a duty to control the world, was very attractive to the demoralized Germans. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 became the event that strengthened the Nazi Party when the United States called back loans that Germany could not repay. Unemployment in Germany became very severe, and people looked to Hitler and the Nazi party because of their anti-West stance and refusal to pay back the money. Because Hitler opposed the Treaty of Versailles, Germans saw Hitler as a way out of the severe debt and economic failures. Hitler became Chancellor and Fuehrer of Germany in 1933 with 37% of the vote.During his time in power Hitler mistreated the political, religious and ethnic minorities as well as staging Anti-Semitic political rallies and events such as the Kristallnacht. Also in 1933, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations and began increasing the army. Germany first invaded the Rhineland and when Britain and France did not retaliate, he invaded the Sudentenland. The British Prime Minister believed in appeasement and did not want to go to war, but this just emboldened Hitler. In 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, which caused Britain to declare war on Germany, beginning World War II. Hitler ruled as Fuehrer of Germany until his suicide on April 30th, 1945.