2. Rise to Power Adolf Hitler had a side that was rude, rough and vulgar but another side that was charming, convincing and believable; this was the side that brought millions of followers to his feet. He would tell the people what they wanted to hear, everything from, the conditions in the country would improve, that their own lives would be better, and that Germany would become the most powerful nation on Earth. He pushed his way to power by charming some people and bullying the others. In 1920, Hitler took over a small, poorly financed political Socialist German Worker’s Party, the Nazi Party. Three years later, the country claimed fifty thousand card-carrying Nazis. By 1933, Hitler had made himself dictator of all of Germany, proclaiming that his Third Reich-The third great empire in German history-would last a thousand years. Upon Hitler’s first visits to the Beer Halls, he started to build a much stronger opinion about the way Germany should be ruled. Eventually he spoke out to a small crowd to persuade them of his ideas and plans for Germany. Considering much of Germany was very vulnerable, the small crowds eventually grew larger as word of Hitler’s notions spread across Germany. This is how the Nazi party was created. In January 30, 1933Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany. With this, he had power over all of Germany. February 27, 1933, The Reichstag went up in flames. The Nazis had planned and started this fire to get rid of all the Communist deputies of the Reichstag. Hitler managed to obtain a decree from President Hindenburg giving the Nazi government powers to inter anyone they thought was a threat to the nation.
3. Family Life Father (Alois) was a customs officer for the Austro-German border, but died when Hitler was 13 His mother, Klara, gave birth to two children before him, but neither lived, he lost another brother when he was 6, and one more daughter who out lived him Klara died from cancer when Hitler was 19
4. Teenage Life He attended school from the age of 6, but continued with a poor record and dropped out to pursue becoming an artist Over time he developed an interest in politics and history as well as applied to the Vienna Academy of Arts unsuccessfully. In 1909, he moved to Vienna in hope of earning a living, however he was homeless within a year. He refused regular employment.
5. Experiences as a WWI soldier In 1914, Hitler volunteered for service in the German army and was accepted into the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. He fought bravely in the war and was promoted to corporal and decorated with both the Iron Cross Second Class and First Class, the latter of which he wore until his dying day. Hitler had a sense of belonging and purpose when he was fighting in the war. He was an unusual solider with sloppy manner and unmilitary bearing. Adolf was eager for action and was always ready to volunteer for dangerous assignments even after many narrow escapes from death. Hitler suffered from temporary blindness from a British gas attack in Ypres Salient. When they made the announcement about the armistice in 1918. In December of 1918, Adolf returned to his regiment back in Munich.
6. Where may his extreme anti-semitism have come from? At the age of 19, his mother died of cancer. The doctor that was helping but couldn’t keep her alive was a Jew. Adolf Hitler blamed this doctor for the death of his mother and we believe that this is one of the reasons for his extreme anti-semitism. In the movie; Hitler-the rise of evil, it showed his father as a very abusive and anger man. Hitler may have gotten his anger from his father and from his father acting this way around Hitler may have caused him to become so anti-semitism.
7. Hitler Hitler could be viewed as a man who was filled with hatred and wickedness as a result of past events in his life. However, you could also see him as a determined man with strong beliefs that he was willing to go to the extreme to support.
8. Bibliography Hitler-The Rise to Evil. DVD. Alliance Atlantis Communications. May 18, 2003. Phil’sWorldWarIIPages. PhilStokes. http://www.secondworldwar.co.uk/ahitler.html Ayer, Eleanor. The Importance of Adolf Hitler. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 1996.
