Adolf Hitler 3 Essay, Research Paper
ADOLF HITLER 1. THE BEGINNING At half past six on the evening of April 20th, 1889 a childwas born in the small town of Branau, Austria. The name of thechild was Adolf Hitler. He was the son a Customs official AloisHitler, and his third wife Klara. As a young boy Adolf attendated church regulary and sang inthe local choir. One day he carved a symbol into the bench whichresembled the Swastika he later used as the symbol of the Naziparty. He was a pretty good student. He received good marks inmost of his classes. However in his last year of school hefailed German and Mathematics, and only succeeded in Gym andDrawing. He drooped out of school at the age of 16, spending atotal of 10 years in school. From childhood one it was his dreamto become an artist or architect. He was not a bad artist, ashis surviving paintings and drawings show but he never showed anyoriginality or creative imagination. To fullfil his dream he hadmoved to Vienna the capital of Austria where the Academy of artswas located. He failed the first time he tried to get admissionand in the next year, 1907 he tried again and was very sure ofsuccess. To his surprise he failed again. In fact the Dean ofthe academy was not very impressed with his performance, and gavehim a really hard time and said to him “You will never bepainter.” The rejection really crushed him as he now reached adead end. He could not apply to the school of architecture as hehad no high-school diploma. During the next 35 years of his livethe young man never forgot the rejection he received in thedean’s office that day. Many Historians like to speculatewhat would have happened IF…. perhaps the small town boy wouldhave had a bit more talent….or IF the Dean had been a littleless critical, the world might have been spared the nightmareinto which this boy was eventually to plunge it. 2. WORLD WAR I While living in Vienna Hitler he made his living by drawingsmall pictures of famous landmarks which he sold as post cards.But he was always poor. He was also a regular reader of a smallpaper which claimed that the Araban race was superior to all andwas destined to rule the world. The paper blamed Communists andJews for all their problems and hitler agreed to those views.Hitler agree with most of the points made in the publication. Hecontinued to live a poor live in Vienna and in 1913 decided tomove to Munich. Still living in Vienna and being Austrain bybirth, Hitler showed more loyalty to the Geramny. He thoughtthat the Aryan race was destined to rule the world. Many believethat he tried to escape the draft but it was never proven. Hislive in Munich was not much better then before and he continuedto be poor. Then in 1914 World War I broke out and Hitler sawthis as a great opportunity to show his loyalty to the”fatherland” by volunteering for the Imperial army. He did notwant to fight in the Austrian Army. Hitler was a good soldier.Many of political opponents claimed that he was a coward butrecords clearly show that he was not. He received to awards ofbravery but never achieved a high Rank. In 1918 Germany surrendered and Hitler was very upset aboutthe loss. He believed that it was the Jews and the Communistswho betrayed the “fatherland” and it was here that his dislikingof the Jews most likely began. Germany after the war was inchaos. With no real Government to control the country, manygroups tried to take control. One day a big communist groupstaged a big riot but another group of ex-soldiers includingHitler managed to hold them back. 3. THE NAZI PARTY Since there were not many chances for employment Hitlerstayed in the army. Hitler was assigned the job of going go tovarious meetings of groups which sprang up like mushrooms and toreport on them. One day September 12, 1919 – a fateful day inhistory, Hitler was sent to investigate a small group whichcalled itself the “German Workers Party”. Hitler was not tohappy about his assignment. He thought it wouldn’t be worth itto even go. At the group mainly talked about the Countriesproblem and how the Jews, communists and others where threateningthe master race and offered their own solutions. Hitler wasbored by the meeting but when a man stood up and claimed thatBavaria should separate from Germany, Hitler got up and arguedthat point. He argued that Germany and germans must unite intoone to survive. His natural ability to speak imprest the leaderof the group and at the end of the meeting he gave Hitler apamphlet and an initiation the next meeting. He wasn’tinterested in attending but after reading the hand out heaccepted. He later joined the German Workers Party and was incharge of Propaganda. The party was small at first but Hitler’sgreat skill at deliberating speeches attracted more and morelisteners and it soon became a major party with many followers.Eventually Adolf Hitler became it’s leader and the rest as theysay….is history. 4. HITLER IN POWER While spending time in prison for trying to overthrow thegovernment Adolf Hitler wrote his famous book “Mein Kampf”, inwhich he describes many problems and where he states that theJews and communists were responsible for those problems. He alsodecided on the “Final Solution” to the “Jewish Question”. It was
his goal to eliminate the Jewish race from the Europeancontinent. It is interesting to look and see how a small timeboy from Austria with no education, money or political backgroundcould become within a few years the leader of big nation such asGermany. Historians believe that Hitler saw a great opportunityto get his views across to the German people who have lost allhope. Of course people did not start to support him right away.After he came into power, the Nazi party took control over everyaspect of every day life. Hitler ordered the creation of aspecial police force to make sure that all opponents would beelimanted, the Gestapo. He also gave orders to set up a specialforce which would be used to transport and take care of allpolitical prisioners and people thought to be inferior. The nameof the force was the feared SS. Mass propaganda was used topersuade the German people that the “Fuhrer” would make thecountry strong and powerful again. They also used propagandaagainst the Jews and other minority groups which were consideredenemies. Teachers had to belong to the Nazi party, and childrenwere taught that Jews very the source of all their problems.Since the country was in chaos after the war, and was forced topay billions in damages, The Germans saw hope in Adolf Hitler.In the late 20’s the depression hit which made the situation evenworse. Hitler in his speeches blamed the Jews and Communists fortheir misfortunes and many listed. Unemployment was very high atthat time standing at about 25%. Hitler also spoke out againstthe unfairness of the Versailles treaty. Germany lost a lot ofits territory. The Empire was no more. He believed the pureAraban race is destined to rule the world and wanted to build anEmpire that would last a 1000 years. He preached that allGermans must unite in order for this goal to succeed. Hitler publicly stated his views on the Jews. But the Jewsof Germany didn’t see Hitler as a great threat at first. Howeverwhen Hitler became chancellor and eventually took over totallythey changed their mind. The first thing he did was to take theJews their right to vote. Soon they were not allowed to marrywith a pure german, they could not hold positions such asteachers, doctors lawyers,..and so on. Many Jews only thenrealized that he was serious and many fled Germany. Why did somany Germans follow Hitler? When he took power the economy wasbasically non existent. Many looked for answers and hope.Hitler was their answer. He promised to rebuild the GloriousGermany of the past. First he started to build up the Wehrmacht.Germany was not allowed to have more than 100,000 men, but Hitlerbroke the treaty and gave orders to increase that number.Factories started putting out weapons and people now had jobs.To the Germans this was a very good sign. Mass rallies wereheld, where Hitler continued to use his powers of speech on theGerman people. 5. THE ROAD TO WAR At first the allies did nothing about the fact that Hitlerbroke the Treaty. He gave speeches in which he indicated thatthe German people needed living space. Later he Marched into theReihnland, and area which Germany lost. Next He moved intoAustria, his home country and annexed it without a shoot beingfired into the Reich. Following Austria, he wanted control ofthe Sudetenland, a part of Czechoslovakia which was mainly Germanspeaking. He also achieved that goal. The allies didn’t wantanother war so they led Hitler do what he wanted to, but when heAttacked Poland on September 1st, 1939 the allies no longer stoodby and watched. Britain and France declared war on Germany a fewdays after later, World War II began. 6. THE DARK SIDE After the Wehrmacht conquered and occupied a territory theSS quickly followed. They would round up Jews, Communists,Gypsies, Homosexuals and others which were viewed as “Inferior”according to Nazi racial theory and enemies of the German peopleand put on trains. They were all sent to Concentration camps,which were set up to implement the ‘final solution’. Camps suchas Auschwitz, Treblinka, Bergen Belsen were all equipped with gaschambers to make the killing process quick and efectfull. Inthose camps 6 million Jews and many others were killed by theNazis. Hitler’s army seemed unstoppable but in the end, theallies managed to win many decisive battles. Eventually on Aril30th, 1945 Hitler committed suicide in his bunker by shootinghimself in the mouth. His body was burned, but no ones knowswhat happened to the “Fuhrer’s” ashes. On May 7th, 1945 Germanysurrendered unconditionally. 7. THE MAN Hitler was one of the most, if not the most cruel man toever walk the face of the earth. His believe of thesuperiorority of the “Aryan” race made him hate all others. Hebelieved that the slaws to the east should be made work for theGerman people. He thought of blacks as being “Sub-human”. AndMost of all he hated the Jews. So much that in early 1945, whenequipment and manpower was badly needed on the front Hitlerinsisited on man and equipment staying and continuing to tranportJews to the camps. In his Testament he left his money to hisfamily. And message to the Germany people “Above all I chargethe leaders of the nation and those under them to scrupulousobservance of the laws of race and to merciless opposition to theuniversal poisoner of all peoples, international Jewry.” The only people which would be spared where theScandinavians to the north, since they were closely related tothe German race. With Hitler’s death the Nazi party quicklyfated. But there is still a lot of tension in todays Germany.