Adolf Hitler was a political figure in Germany from the late 1920s to the 1940s[1]. He was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, Austria[2]. Hitler’s father was named Alois and worked in the state customs service. After his father retired, Hitler spent part of his childhood in Linz, the capital of Upper Austria[2]. Hitler was not successful in school and was rejected from the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna twice[3]. After his mother’s death, he moved to Vienna and lived a bohemian lifestyle, which led to him sleeping on park benches and relying on charity from the public[2]. Hitler’s experiences during this time made him hard-hearted and survival-oriented[2].
Hitler’s early involvement in politics began with his membership in the German Workers’ Party (DAP) in 1919[4]. He quickly rose through the ranks and became the leader of the party, which he renamed the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) [4]. Hitler used his trial for attempting to overthrow the government in 1923 to attack the parliamentary democracy system and promote his nationalist and xenophobic ideology[5]. He was found guilty but received a light sentence and was released after serving only one year[5]. During his time in prison, he wrote his autobiography, Mein Kampf (My Struggle), which was published in 1926[5].
Hitler’s rise to power as the Fuhrer of the Nazi Party was marked by his oratory skills and charisma, which attracted many followers who were hungry for change[5]. He blamed the Jews and Communists for Germany’s economic woes and was able to gain support from the military by implementing policies to modernize and expand the military[1]. Hitler’s regime was responsible for the genocide of six million Jews during the Holocaust, as well as the deaths of millions of others during World War II[5]. Hitler died on April 30, 1945, by suicide in his bunker in Berlin as Allied forces closed in on the city[2].