Adolf Hitler E-Book

50MINUTES

• Herausgeber: 50Minutes.com
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Serie: History
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 45

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

Keen to learn but short on time? Get to grips with the life of Adolf Hitler in next to no time with this concise guide.

50Minutes.com provides a clear and engaging analysis of Adolf Hitler. Adolf Hitler’s name will never be forgotten and his atrocious acts are still remembered to this day. He led the most shocking crimes against humanity in modern history which saw millions of people, particularly Jews, killed. But when Hitler was a child, there was no indication that he would grow up to be this figure of hate. So how did this passionate artist become the man responsible for the 20th century’s biggest genocide?

In just 50 minutes you will:
   • Learn about Hitler’s life from his average childhood in Austria to his suicide in Berlin
   • Understand how he came to form the Nazi Party and terrorise Europe, invading countries and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake 
   • Analyse the developments that took place across the world as a result of Hitler’s actions, such as the creation of the United Nations and the start of the Cold War


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Leseprobe

Adolf Hitler

Born: 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, AustriaDied: 30 April 1945 in BerlinKey information: He organised the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)He installed a totalitarian political regime in GermanyHe is responsible for starting WWII He is responsible for the 20th century’s biggest genocide

Hitler is the 20th century’s most controversial figure. His name alone conjures images of the greatest horrors of our time. Yet there was nothing to suggest that this Austrian man was fated to such a shocking and historic destiny. He was passionate about art and hoped to make a career out of it, but was rejected from his attempts to pursue this field of study several times. This gave way to a dark period of his life, spent reading works which would radicalise his thinking and change the course of his life forever. A few years later, he left Austria and headed to Germany, a country whose power he admired. In 1914, he fought in WWI and showed great zeal in battle, but was injured in combat. He learned of Germany’s defeat on his sickbed. He was certain that this outcome was due to enemies working within the German nation itself: Jews and communists. On Hitler’s return to health, he was greeted by a country which had been plunged into chaos by the humiliating Treaty of Versailles. It was then that he joined the National Socialist German Workers’ Party and quickly rose through its ranks, reorganising its structures and becoming its leader. His ambitions went far beyond this; he planned to captain a whole new civilisation and protect Aryan purity; he would stop at nothing to achieve this goal. Despite his failed coup against the state in 1923, he was determined to rise to the top and lead the country, and Germany’s disastrous political condition at the time helped him do so. He appointed himself as Head of State and, led by his ideological convictions, used this as a platform for organising the most shocking crimes against humanity of modern history. In his wake, he would leave only ashes and blood.

Biography

Portrait of Adolf Hitler, dated 1933

Paternal influences

Hitler came into the world on 20 April 1889 in Braunau am Inn, a small town in present-day Austria not far from the German border. His father Alois Hitler (1837-1902) worked as part of the border control, and had two children other than from a previous marriage. In 1885 Alois married his third wife, his younger cousin Klara Pöllz (1860-1907). From this marriage, their son Adolf was born, as well as two other children: Edmond in 1895 and Paula in 1896.

Hitler’s complex family lineage

Adolf Hitler may well have been called by a different name. For much of his life, his father Alois went by his mother’s surname (Maria Schicklgruber, 1795-1847) since his own father’s identity was unknown. Five years after Alois’ birth, his mother married a blue-collar worker named Georg Hiedler (1792-1857). When Alois was just ten years old, his mother died and he was taken into the care of Johann Hiedler (1808-1888), Georg’s brother. In 1876, Johann made Alois his heir by claiming that he was in fact Georg’s son. It was for this reason that Alois adopted the surname Hiedler, which became Hitler over time and through mistaken transcription. Historians are still unsure whether this name-change reflects a genuine paternal link or was merely aimed at ensuring someone could carry on the family name. In any case, it has been noted that it was probably a great help to Hitler’s career - can you imagine crowds of people rallying to the cry “Heil Schicklgruber!”?

Hitler’s childhood was spent moving between different locations due to his father’s work. His father was very proud of his career and the elevated social status which came with it, harbouring great hopes that his son would follow in his footsteps. However, the young Adolf had other ideas. At school, he was thought to be an intelligent but lazy pupil, who only worked hard in the subjects he was interested in. One of these was art and design, and he seriously considered pursuing an artistic career. This dream was met with hostility from his father and their relationship quickly descended into frequent and violent arguments. This rift was never healed and Alois died on 3 January 1903.

Was Hitler of Jewish descent?

While Georg Hiedler is Hitler’s legal grandfather, nothing regarding his lineage is certain. Many rumours about the true identity of Maria Schricklgruber’s lover have circulated; among these is a theory which suggests Hitler’s grandfather was in fact Jewish. When Maria fell pregnant she was working as a housekeeper in Graz for a Jewish family, the Frankenbergers. Rumour has it that she had an affair with the family’s oldest son, however no trace of a family with this name in Graz has been found. Other theories suggest that Maria worked for the Rothschilds in Vienna.

Hitler himself organised several secret investigations into this sensitive question, but no concrete answers could be found. Fearing for the integrity of his anti-Semitic convictions, Hitler got rid of all trace of his father’s identity so that no-one could discover the truth, whatever it may have been.

Hitler, the failed artist