ADOLF HITLERMa. Emilia Quiñónez Hernández,

A01113455

Why him?

Well, I’m not sure if I could call Hitler my “favorite” historical figure, I actually kind of hate him, but I do find his life very interesting and I really like how every aspect of his life took him to do all the terrible, nasty things he did to humanity. Plus, he’s the historical figure I know most about.

Adolf Hitler wasn’t german like a lot of people think; he was born in Austria, 1889. His family wasn’t a happy one: he had countless stepbrothers and sisters, and four of his real brothers died in their early childhoods. Only one of Adolf’s sisters, Paula, could make it to adulthood. His mother was overprotective with him because he was the only boy left in the family. The three of them (Adolf, his mother, and his sister) suffered of family violence from Adolf's father.

His Childhood

THE YOUNG HITLERThe young Hitler loved to draw and paint in company of his best and only friend (Who years later published a book named “The young Hitler I knew” which, by the way, I intend to read because it looks pretty interesting) and left school to try to enter to the Academy of Fine Arts of Vienna; but his admission was denied multiple times, which made him really really sad because he really loved to draw and paint.

(Adolf Hitler’s Paintings and Drawings)

World War I

Hitler moved from Austria to Germany and volunteered in the army. He did very good as soldier, he even won an iron cross. In one of the battles, the opposite side threw a gas bomb, which seriously injured him and left him blind for a couple of months. I believe this affected him very deeply because at first he thought the blindness would be permanent and that meant he would no longer be able to do what he liked the most: to paint.

HITLER IN POLITICS FOR THE FIRST TIME

After Hitler recovered his sight, he started his politics career in the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), but after the Beer Hall Putsch (coup d'État) he was sentenced to five yers of imprisonment (of which he only completed one and he had special treatment). While in jail, he wrote his famous Mein Kampf.

Hitler at Landsberg Prison

Mein Kampf’s first edition

NAZI PARTY

After jail, Adolf Hitler completely reorganized his party, and his life.He met Eva Braun, the love of his life, and together they traveled across Germany and across europe giving speeches and poisoning peoples’ minds with Hitler’s facist ideas. After Hitler got the people’s love and support, the Third Reich started.

HITLER’S RISEIn 1930, a worldwide depression hit Germany, yet Germany also had the debt of paying for the damage it had caused in World War I. Hitler protested against paying the debt and said that the Jews and Communists were the cause for Germany's defeat in World War I. He promised to rid Germany of Jews and Communists and to reunite the German speaking part of Europe.In July, 1932, the Nazis received about 40% of the vote and became the strongest party in Germany. On January 30,1933, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor of Germany. Once in this position, Hitler moved quickly toward attaining a dictatorship.

The Third ReichUnder Hitler's government, called the Third Reich, there was no place for freedom. The government controlled every part of one's life. Hitler used extensive propaganda to brainwash the nation into believing his theory about creating the perfect Aryan or nordic race. Therefore, it was Hitler's plan to rid the nation and eventually the world of Jews, Gypsies, Negroes, handicapped, and mentally ill persons. This plan was called the "Final Solution."

Aryan Race

World War IIWorld War II began in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland to begin his unification of all German-speaking peoples. By this time extermination camps were being established throughout Germany, Poland, and Russia.

It’s Finally Over!Before Hitler was stopped in 1945 by the Allied countries, he had caused the extermination over 12 million people. Hitler committed suicide in his bunker on April 30,1945 and seven days later, Germany surrendered.