Adolf Hitler was born in Brannauam Inn, Austria-Hungary, on April 20, 1889. Most of Hitler’s childhood was spent in Linz, the capital of upper Austria. Although Hitler’s dad, Alois, died in 1903, his pension and savings were enough to support his family. Adolf attended secondary school until he was 16 even though he had a terrible track record throughout and never received a diploma. As a young boy he idolized the priests and for two years seriously considered becoming a priest himself. He especially admired the Abbot in charge, who ruled his black-robed monks with supreme authority. At home Hitler sometimes played priest and even included sermons. One day, young Hitler went rummaging through his father’s book collection and came across several of a military nature, including a picture book on the War of 1870-1871 between the Germans and the French. By Hitler’s own account, this book became an obsession. He read it over and over, becoming convinced it had been a glorious event. There was also a history teacher at school, Dr. Leopold Potsch who touched Hitler’s imagination with exciting tales of the glory of German figures such as Bismark and Frederick The Great. For young Hitler, German Nationalism quickly became an obsession.

In 1914 Hitler was examined for the military in Austria, but was rejected as unfit. When World War I began, he volunteered for the German Army and became a member of the 16^th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment as a headquarters runner on the front lines. Hitler, by all accounts, was an unusual soldier with a sloppy manner and unmilitary bearing. But he was also eager for action and always ready to volunteer for dangerous assignments even after many narrow escapes from death. On October, 7, 1916, Hitler was wounded in the leg by a shell fragment during the battle of the Somme. He was hospitalized in Germany. It was his first time away from the front after two years of war. After his recovery, he went sight seeing in Berlin, then was assigned to light duty in Munich. He was appalled at the apathy and anti-war sentiment among German civilians. He blamed the Jews for much of this and saw them as conspiring to spread unrest and undermine the German war effort.

After the war, Hitler was hired as a political agent to spy on subversive groups. Through this profession he became involved with the German Worker’s Party (NSDAP). While in Vienna he learned about politics from the anti-Semitic mayor Karl Lueger. After building a power base in Bavaria, Hitler attempted a coup in the style of Mussolini’s March on Rome. The Munich ‘Putsch’ in 1923 was put down by policemen, and Hitler was arrested. He was sentenced to a short prison term, far less than would normally be given to someone who had committed treason. Following his release, Hitler presence and assurance that he would lead Germany to another Renaissance seduced the people. In 1932, the party won 36% of the vote.

After Hitler achieved political dominance, the Nazis staged a fire of the Reichstag, which was blamed on the communists. This event was used by Hitler to ask for governing power without the government of Germany. Several assassination attempts on Hitler were made between the years 1943-1944. The most notable was by Col. Carl von Stauffenberg, in which a bomb was placed under a table at a conference in Hitler’s headquarters in East Prussia. The bomb exploded, killing and injuring many, but leaving Hitler with only slight injuries. This event only solidified Hitler’s belief in his own immortality and greatness.
 

Back to Main Page