Homework Help: Social Studies: People: Adolf Hitler

Hitler was born on April 20 1889, in the Austrian border town of Braunau. Adolf was the fourth child of the third marriage of Alois Hitler Alois Hitler was 51 and Adolf mother was 28 years old. His father was a minor customs official in the service of the Austrian Empire. Adolf received good marks in elementary school, but he was a poor student in high school. His low marks angered his harsh, ill tempered father. Alois wanted his son to be a civil servant but young Adolf wanted to be an artist.

Alois Hitler died in 1903, and Adolf left high school two and a half years later at the age of 16. His mother owned some property so he stayed with her. Adolf did not have to go to work. He spent his time daydreaming, drawing pictures, and reading books.

In 1907, at the age of 18, Hitler went to Vienna. He twice tried to enter in the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and twice got rejected. His mother died in 1907. Adolf had an income from the money his mother left her children and inherited some money from his aunt. From 1909-1913 Hitler lived a lonely and obscure life in the poorer districts of Vienna. During this time he developed a growing hatred for Jews and Slavs. Hitler thought that no form of government could last if it treated people of different nationalities equally.

In 1913 Hitler was moved to Germany. The Austrian Army called him for a physical examination, but he was found unfit for service. When WWI broke out he volunteered immediately for service in the German Army. He served as a messenger on the Western front for most of the war.

After the war millions of Germans could not find work. Nationalists and Communists attacked the new government.

After the war Hitler attend meetings of a small group called the German Workers Party. Later they became known as the Nazis. The Nazis called for the cancellation of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler became the leader quickly. Hitler also organized a private army called the storm troopers. The storm troopers numbered 15,000 and they had a considerable amount of machine guns and rifles.

Hitler would later enslave and kill over 12 million people. They would include Jews, Homosexuals, political leaders that would be a threat to Hitler, and anyone else that he wanted.

By April 1945, after many years of war, Hitler had become a broken man. His hands, head, and feet trembled, and he was tortured by stomach cramps. Eva Braun, Hitler's mistress since the 1930's joined him at his headquarters in a bomb shelter under the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. She and Hitler married there on April 29th. The next day, they killed themselves. Aides burned their bodies. Seven days later, Germany surrendered.

Homework Help: Social Studies: People

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