by William l. Shirer
The Biography:
Adolf Hitler was the poor the poor boy who rose from the gutter to provoke World War II and conquer most of Europe. He was born in Branau-on-the-Inn, Austria, on April 20, 1889. His father wanted him to be a government employee; Hitler’s ambition was to be a painter.
At 16 to 19 years, he merely roamed around, read books, attended operas, didn’t employ himself. He flunked his fine arts exams; stayed four years in Vienna absorbing political ideas. He turned rabble rouser orator with a fixed hatred for Jews.
During World War I, he was dispatch runner for a Bavarian regiment and was decorated for bravery, although he rose only from private to corporal. At 29, he joined the small, unknown German Workers Party which he later headed and converted into the Nazi Party with millions of followers. Nazi is the short term for Nationalsozialistische, of which party Hitler was called Fuehrer or Leader.
On Nov. 8, 1923, he pulled the famous Beer Hall putsch in Munich, Germany, in an attempt to seize the German government; but his rebellion was put down. Hitler was convicted of treason and imprisoned. Released afterwards, he reorganized his party into a strong one. in 1933, through strategy, he became the German chancellor, then turned himself into an absolute dictator. He abolished freedom of speech, persecuted Christian churches, and began his Nazi blood purge.
In 1938 he violated international treaties and annexed Austria Czechoslovakia, Poland. He made Italy, Russia and Japan as German allies. He annexed also Denmark, Norway, Poland, Holland, Belgium and France. Two countries, Britain and United States, united against Hitler. Becoming greedy, Hitler attacked Russia, but German armies lost later to the Russians. The Allies won over Hitler; and on Monday April 30, 1945, Hitler killed himself with a pistol. Beside him was his bride of a few hours, Eva Braun, who had poisoned herself.
Comment:
This is the biography of Adolf Hitler, the monstrous tyrant who murdered millions of people in pursuit of his wild dream to convert Germany into a master race, with other peoples and countries as slaves. He plunged the world into the most destructive war in history, with many countries still suffering from the disastrous effects of World War II.