Hitler Essay Research Paper Hitler The Early

Hitler Essay, Research Paper

Hitler: The Early Years Ado lf Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau-am-Inn, Austria, of Germandescent. His father, Alois Hitler, was a poor peasant farmer that became a customsofficer so he could send his children to school. As Adolf was growing up, he becamevery intelligent and talented and received good grades in the elementary school in hisvillage. Although Adolf was very intelligent, his grades started slipping when he enteredhigh school because he felt uncomfortable. Adolf started reading pointlessly,daydreaming about becoming a famous artist and developed a talent of evadingresponsibilities. (Encyclopedia Americana H p.246) Adolf s low grades angered hisfather because he wanted Adolf to become a government official, specifically a civilservant, and Hitler wanted to become an artist. Adolf s low marks came back to haunthim as they prevented him from acquiring the customary graduationcertificate. (Encyclopedia Americana H p.246) Adolf left school at the age of 16. Unlikemost people, Adolf didn t have to work since his mother was collecting a widow spension since his father past away. So Adolf spent his days daydreaming, drawingpictures, and reading books. In 1907, Adolf went to Vienna to accomplish his aim of studying art andespecially architecture. (Encyclopedia Americana h p.246) When he took the entranceexamination to get admitted into the Academy of Fine Arts, he failed on both of hisattempts. His non-admission to the Academy destroyed what he had and what he couldhave become as an artist. Adolf did not go back to his village, but instead wandered thestreets of Vienna aimlessly. Adolf cut off all ties to his family and friends and stumbledthrough life with no more goals. Hitler stayed alive by using money given to him by hismother, money left to him in a will, and although he lacked business training, he eked out a living as a laborer in the building trades and by painting pictures on cheappostcards. Adolf slept in parks or wherever he found space and often ate in soup kitchensfor the poor and homeless. (Internet) Even though he was lucky enough to find a job itdidn t seem like he really wanted it. Adolf did the bare minimum; he never learned towork regularly, and remained essentially a loner. But he did learn an important lesson:how to evaluate and exploit the mentality of the people he worked with. (EncyclopediaAmericana H p.246) Military Experience and Political Rise In about 1913, Hitler got sick of Austria and decided to leave. Before Hitler leftAustria, he developed a hatred for Jews, Slavs and the patchwork nation of Austria. Hitler became a fierce nationalist who believed that no form of government could last if ittreated people of different nationalities the same. (World Book h p.265) Hitler s ownwords about Austria are: I was sure that the state of Austria was sure to obstruct everyreally great German and to support … everything un-German …. I hated the motleycollection in Austria of Czechs, Ruthenians, Poles, Hungarians, Serbs, Croats, and aboveall that ever-present fungoid growth-Jews … I became a fanatical anti-Semite. (Internet) In the same year of 1913, Hitler decided to give up his Austrian citizenship andenlist in the 16th Bavarian infantry regimen. He said he wouldn t fight for Austria, but Iwas ready to die at any time for my people (the Germans). (Internet) In his first taste ofaction during the Ypres offensive, Hitler sang out songs of war to motivate the Germanarmies. During his second taste of action, Hitler was a fighter against British tanks. After the war, Hitler rose to lance corporal and received the Iron Cross for his actions asdispatch runner at the cost of getting shot in the leg. While in the hospital, the armisticewas signed. When news of Germany s defeat and the armistice reached Hitler, he madeHitler agonize. He believed that Germany s defeat was caused by internal enemies,meaning the Jews and the Communists. Germany may have lost the war, but they gainedthe birth of a genius strategist and politician in Hitler. Hitler s involvement in the wargave his life meaning and purpose that filled the space left by the rejection of theAcademy. In war, Hitler found an interesting subject to know and learn more about. Hitler was fascinated by violence and its uses on people and countries. From the momentHitler stepped onto the battlefield, Hitler the artist was dead and Hitler the politician andlunatic was forthcoming. The end of the war once again left Hitler with an empty feeling. However, Hitleronce again found something to temporarily fill that space in his life: public speaking. Public speaking soon brought him to the attention of the German Workers party. TheGerman Workers changed their name to the Nazis and Hitler joined their cause when hethought that the party offered him a better chance for his new goal: political power. Hitler kept moving up while in the Nazis. He went from chief propagandist to partychairman with dictorial powers in just one year. In 1923 Germany was in deep trouble asstrikes broke out and the German economy suffered more each day. To make mattersworse two political parties fought setting up a perfect opportunity to try to take over theruling government. He brought 2,000 men to march against the government but that wasnot enough because the government brought the state police. The police opened fireputting a stop to the march. Since Hitler was the leader they arrested him and sentencedhim