Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler was born to Alois and Klara Hitler on April 20th, 1889. His childhood was unhappy, but not totally miserable. His father wanted him to be a civil servant, but Adolf wanted to become a painter. Hitler did well in Elementary school, but later on he failed miserably, which he blamed his teachers for. His father died in 1903, and Adolf dropped out of school two years later. In "Mein Kampf" (My Struggle), the autobiography Hitler dictated while in Landsberg prison in 1924, he says the period in his life from 1905 to 1908 as "...the happiest days of my life...almost a dream." In those years he becamse obsessed with politics and developed his hatred for the Hapsburg monarchy. He applied to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, who rejected him, saying "test drawing unsatisfactory." In 1908, his mother died. A year later, he moved to Vienna and began what he called "the saddest period of my life." He lived first on the streets, then in a doss house, selling paintings of Vienna and continuing with his anti-semitic views. In 1913, he moved to Munich, to avoid Austrian military service. After listening to the Bavarian government's proclamation of war, he joined the 16th Bavarian Reserve Regiment, where he won, in 1918, the Iron Cross First Class, which was rarely awarded to ordinary soldiers. In January 1919, he joined the German Workers Party, a small, powerless talkshop group under the leadership of Anton Drexler. At the first major meeting, Hitler made a speech stating that Jews should be denied office and citizenship. A year later, the group changed it name to 'National Socialist German Workers Party'- the first Nazis. Hitler, now the obvious leader of the group, spoker for the first time in Berlin in 1921, and the Nazi group grew to thousands. In 1923, Chancellor Stresemann and President Ebert in Berlin declared a State of Emergency. The people, the army, and the Bavarian government all wanted to overthrow the Berlin socialists. Hitler believed his time had come. Him and a group of Nazis were marching down the streets and ran into police, who started shooting. Hitler ran to a car, but was arrested two days later. He was sentenced to five years in prison, in which he only served nine months. IN 1924, over 40 Nazis were locked up in Landsberg prison. While there, Hitler dictated his massive and almost unreadable autobiography Mein Kampf. In February 1925, Hitler relaunched the Nazi Party, with only those prepared to accept him as their leader numbered among its members. A few months later, President Ebert died, and Hindenburg was appointed to presidency. In1929, Chancellor Stresemann died. The Republican government of the new Chancellor, Bruening was supported by the army, the 84-year old President Hindenburg and many others. When Hindenburg's term expired in 1932, he asked Hitler for help in his campaign. Hitler refused, and ran for the presidency himself. Hitler lost, and Hindenburg signed a decree suppressing

both the SA and the SS. Hitler made a deal with Hindenburg, and he asked for Bruenings resignation. But the constitution required there to be a chancellor. Franz von Papen was not a politician, failed as a minor diplomat and was known for his incompetence in everything he attempted. In 1932 he became Chancellor. The ban on the SA and the SS was lifted. In August, he met with von Papen and was offered Vice Chancellorship. Hitler refused, and stated that nothing less than the Chancellorship would do. On Monday, January 30th, Adolf Hitler became Chancellor of Germany. President Hindenburg's health was worsening and while he was on his deathbed, he issued an ultimatum to Hitler- restore order and the rule of law, or power would be restored to the army. He had little choice but to suppress

the SA. All over Germany hundreds of SA officers were seized and murdered. Hindenburg died on August 2nd, 1934. Just