The Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler: Understanding the Dark Legacy of the Third Reich

Adolf Hitler is one of the most notorious and reviled figures in modern history. Born in Austria in 1889, Hitler would go on to become the leader of the Nazi Party and the dictator of Germany during World War II. His leadership led to some of the most horrific atrocities in human history, including the Holocaust and the deaths of millions of people in the war. In this blog, we will explore Hitler's life and legacy, and examine the factors that led to his rise to power.

Early Life

Adolf Hitler was born on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary (in present-day Austria). He was the fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and his third wife, Klara Hitler. Among five siblings, only he and his younger sister, Paula, survived into adulthood. Hitler's childhood was marked by family upheaval and a difficult relationship with his father. Alois was an authoritarian figure who often beat his son, and the family moved frequently due to his job.

Hitler moved from Linz to Vienna in 1907 to live and study fine arts, supported by his mother and orphan benefits. He submitted an application for admission to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, but was twice denied.

Hitler was advised by the director to apply to the School of Architecture but was unable to do so since he had not completed his secondary education.. Struggling to make ends meet, Hitler moved to Munich in 1913 and became a homeless drifter. He supported himself by selling postcards and painting watercolors, but he also became interested in politics and began attending meetings of the German Workers' Party, a precursor to the Nazi Party.

Entry into politics

Hitler went back to Munich after World War I. He stayed in the army despite having no official schooling or future employment prospects. He was given the responsibility of influencing other soldiers and infiltrating the German Workers' Party after being named Verbindungsmann (intelligence agent) of an Aufklärungskommando (reconnaissance unit) of the Reichswehr in July 1919. (DAP). Party Chairman Anton Drexler was pleased by Hitler's oratory talents at a DAP meeting on September 12, 1919. He gave him a copy of his anti-Semitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist, and anti-Marxist treatise My Political Awakening. Hitler applied to join the party on the advice of his army superiors, and a week later he was admitted as party member 555 (the party started counting membership at 500 to give the appearance that they were a much larger party). 

Rise to Power

Hitler's speaking ability and charisma quickly made him a rising star within the German Workers' Party. He was appointed leader of the party in 1921 and changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), commonly known as the Nazi Party. Hitler's ideology was based on a combination of extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, and a belief in the superiority of the Aryan race.

In 1923, Hitler attempted to seize power in a failed coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch. He was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, but he only served nine months. During his time in prison, Hitler wrote his manifesto, Mein Kampf, which laid out his vision for a racially pure German state and his plans for expansionism.

When Hitler was released from prison in 1924, he rebuilt the Nazi Party and began a campaign to gain power through legal means. He used propaganda, rallies, and his own personal charisma to gain support among the German people. In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Paul von Hindenburg. Within a few months, he had consolidated power and become dictator of Germany.

    “At the risk of appearing to talk nonsense I tell you that the National Socialist movement will go on for 1,000 years! ... Don't forget how people laughed at me 15 years ago when I declared that one day I would govern Germany. They laugh now, just as foolishly, when I declare that I shall remain in power.”

                               — Adolf Hitler to a British correspondent in                   Berlin, June 1934

Legacy of Hitler

                             

 

Hitler's legacy is one of horror and devastation. During his time in power, he oversaw the implementation of policies that led to the deaths of millions of people. The Holocaust, in which six million Jews were systematically murdered, is one of the most heinous crimes in human history. Hitler's belief in the superiority of the Aryan race led to the persecution and extermination of millions of other people, including Romani people, disabled individuals, and homosexuals.

The war that Hitler initiated resulted in the deaths of an estimated 70 million people, including six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. The devastation wrought by the war left Europe in ruins and changed the course of world history.

Hitler's legacy is also one of warning. His rise to power was facilitated by a combination of factors, including economic instability, political unrest, and a sense of national humiliation. Hitler was able to exploit these factors to gain power and implement his agenda of hate and violence. His legacy serves as a reminder that we must be vigilant against those who seek to exploit the fears and insecurities of others for their own gain.

Death of Hitler

Adolph Hitler started his regular workday on April 30,1945, deep in the bunker beneath the Reich Chancellery building, as Soviet soldiers searched the blazing streets of Berlin above his head for him. He married his longtime mistress Eva Braun on April 29 after completing his will and last political testament. An angry mob smashed Mussolini's body along with that of his mistress, Clara Petacci, and then hung them upside down outside a gas station. This was a most ignoble end for the man whom Hitler credited with teaching him that a civilization's decline could be reversed. The news that Mussolini had died in Italy reached him before lunchtime. The nondrinker and vegetarian Hitler had a low-key farewell meal, shook hands with the surviving employees, and then later that day he and his wife committed suicide  themselves on a couch in his personal living room. Winston Churchill would later write, “The bodies were burnt in the courtyard, and Hitler’s funeral pyre, with the din of the Russian guns growing ever louder, made a lurid end of the Third Reich.”

                                                        

Conclusion

Adolf Hitler was one of the most notorious figures in human history, and his impact on the world cannot be overstated. He rose to power in Germany in the early 1930s and led the country into World War II, which resulted in the deaths of millions of people, including six million Jews in the Holocaust. Hitler's beliefs and actions were driven by his extreme nationalism, racism, and anti-Semitism. He believed that the German people were a superior race and that they were destined to rule the world. He saw Jews, as well as other minority groups, as inferior and blamed them for Germany's problems. Despite his initial popularity, Hitler's regime was marked by brutality, suppression of dissent, and the violation of human rights. He was responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people, both civilians and soldiers, and the destruction of much of Europe. In the end, Hitler's vision of a thousand-year Reich came crashing down, and he died by his own hand in a bunker in Berlin. His legacy is one of tragedy and horror, and his name remains synonymous with evil and cruelty. It is important to study the life and actions of Adolf Hitler to understand the dangers of extremism and the importance of standing up against hate and prejudice. By learning from the mistakes of the past, we can work towards creating a better future for all.