Adolf Hitler

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Based on Presentation by Kevin Ramsey
Hitler’s Childhood & Youth
Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889. His father was Alois Hitler and his mother was
Klara Pölzl. He was one of six children. It is rumoured that Hitler was one-quarter Jewish
due to his grandmother becoming pregnant after working as a servant in a Jewish household
(Hitler later made it illegal for German women to work in Jewish households). As a boy,
Hitler reported that he was whipped almost daily by his father.
Hitler was generally a good student in school however he had to repeat sixth grade. His teachers reported that he had “no
desire to work.” One of Hitler's classmates was Ludwig Wittgenstein, who become one of the greatest philosophers of the
20th century. Hitler’s father wanted him to become a customs official like himself however Hitler
was determined to become a painter. At the age of 16, Hitler left school with no qualifications.
Hitler was brought up as a Roman Catholic by his family though after leaving home he began to
reject his faith and never attended mass. Hitler eventually saw Jesus as a fighter against the Jews.
In 1907 Hitler was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna due to "unfitness for
painting", he was told his abilities lay rather in the field of architecture. He worked as a struggling
painter in Vienna, copying scenes from postcards and selling his paintings to merchants and
tourists. He painted and drew approximately 2000 paintings before World War I. After the second
refusal from the Academy of Arts, Hitler gradually ran out of money. By 1909, he sought refuge
in a homeless shelter and eventually resided in a house for poor working men. Hitler became an
active anti-Semite whilst living in Vienna due to the prominence of religious prejudice and racist
theories including those from Social Darwinism.
“There were very few Jews in Linz. In the course of centuries the Jews who lived there had
Hitler as a young man
become Europeanized in external appearance and were so much like other human beings that I
even looked upon them as Germans. The reason why I did not then perceive the absurdity of such an illusion was that the
only external mark which I recognized as distinguishing them from us was the practice of their strange religion. As I
thought that they were persecuted on account of their faith my aversion to hearing remarks against them grew almost into
a feeling of abhorrence. I did not in the least suspect that there could be such a thing as a systematic anti-Semitism. Once,
when passing through the inner City, I suddenly encountered a phenomenon in a long caftan and wearing black side-
locks. My first thought was: Is this a Jew? They certainly did not have this appearance in Linz. I carefully watched the
man stealthily and cautiously but the longer I gazed at the strange countenance and examined it feature by feature, the
more the question shaped itself in my brain: Is this a German?” Adolf Hitler - Mein Kampf
Rise to Power
Hitler participated in WWI were he saw active service in France and Belgium as a messenger. He received two Iron Cross
for his service. Hitler wasn’t promoted due to the assessment of his superiors that he lacked leadership skills. Shortly before
the end of the war, Hitler was admitted to hospital due to being temporarily blinded by a poison gas attack. Hitler later said
it was during this experience that he became convinced the purpose of his life was to “save Germany”.
“At the beginning of the Great War, or even during the War, if twelve or fifteen thousand of these Jews who were
corrupting the nation had been forced to submit to poison-gas . . . then the millions of sacrifices made at the front would
not have been in vain.” Adolf Hiter - Mein Kampf
Hitler was a passionate German patriot and was shocked by Germany's surrender in WWI. He began to assert that Jews
were the natural enemies of what he called the Aryan race. He blamed the Jew’s and the democratic government for the loss
of the war and subsequent economic distress. After WWI the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty held Germany
liable for the war and incorporated numerous restrictions including a reduction of German
territory, economical sanctions and a near total demilitarisation of the armed forces. Many
Germans felt humiliated and oppressed by the treaty.
In 1919, Hitler was appointed by the army to spy on a small political party, “the German
Workers’ Party” (DAP), which was suspected of being a socialist group. Hitler was impressed
with the DAP’s anti-Semitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist and anti-Marxist ideas. Hitler was
discharged from the army in 1920 and began participating full time in the workers party's
activities.
By early 1921, Hitler was becoming highly effective at speaking in front of large crowds. He
gained notoriety for his rowdy speeches against the Treaty of Versailles, rival politicians and
especially against Marxists and Jews. The DAP was run by an executive committee who began
to see Hitler as overbearing and even dictatorial. They committee sought to minimize Hitler's
power however Hitler became aware of their intent and resigned in 1921. When the committee

realised that the loss of Hitler would bring about the end of the party he announced that he
Hitler speaking for the DAP
Ulladulla Coastal Church Inc.
Phone: 02 4454 1450 Email: info@coastalchurch.org.au Web: http://www.coastalchurch.org.au/
Services: 4pm Sunday, Ulladulla Public School Hall

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would return only if he was given the chairmanship of the party and dictatorial powers. The
DAP eventually backed Hitler's demands and he was introduced as the Fuhrer of the
National Socialist German Workers Party.
Hitler drew large crowds to his speeches and increased in popularity. Encouraged by his
support, Hitler decided to try and take over the government by leading a march to Berlin.
However the army withdrew their support and quickly dispersed the group and killed a few
Nazis. Hitler fled to a friends home, contemplated suicide and was soon after arrested for
high treason. Hitler was sentence for five year though only served 9 months in prison.
While in prison Hitler dictated the book “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) which was both an
autobiography and an exposition of his political ideology. By the end of the war, about 10
million copies had been sold or distributed (all newlyweds and soldiers received a copy).
Dictatorship and War
Most Germans bitterly resented the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler was able to foster greater support by blaming the situation
on the democratic governmental structure and the Jews. Due to his previously failed attempt at parliamentary power Hitler
sought to obtain power for the Nazi party through legal means. In the general elections the Nazis rose from relative
obscurity to win 18.3% of the vote and 107 seats in the parliament.
Due to being unable to form government the German Chancellor offered Hitler the Vice-Chancellorship. Hitler rejected the
offer and demanded that as the leader of the strongest party he should be the Chancellor. Hitler was eventually appointed
Chancellor.
The decision enabled Hitler and his cabinet to enact laws without the participation of the parliament. The president Paul von
Hindenburg died soon after. Hitler's cabinet passed a law which transferred all the powers of the head of state to Hitler.
Hitler and the Nazi party had an approval rate across Germany at the time of 84.6%.
Whilst in power Hitler oversaw one of the largest infrastructure-improvement campaigns in German history, with the
construction of dozens of dams, autobahns, railroads, and other civil works. Hitler's policies emphasised the importance of
family life with men being seen as the breadwinners, and woman as mothers and housewives.
In 1935, Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by reintroducing conscription and building a massive military machine. In
1936, Hitler again violated the Treaty by expanding in the Rhineland and sending troops to assist the Spanish Government.
Hitler obtained a alliance between Germany and Italy, Japan, Hungary and Romania. In 1937, Hitler held a secret meeting
and stated his plans for acquiring "living space" (Lebensraum) for the German people.
Hitler pressured Austria into unification with Germany and then his forces entered Prague. In 1938
Hitler was TIME magazine's Man of the Year. On September 1, 1939, Hitler's forces invaded
Poland which initiated World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945, due to Hitler's policies of Racial Hygiene 11 million people, including
about 6 million Jews were killed (the Holocaust). Amongst the non-Jews killed included:
• alleged communists
• the physically and mentally handicapped
• political opponents
• Soviet prisoners of war
• resisting Roman Catholics
• Jehovah's Witnesses
• resisting Protestants
• anti-Nazi clergy
• homosexuals
• trade unionists
The Church and Nazism
The Church in Nazi Germany was subjected to significant amounts of pressure due to its ability to
influence the populous. In 1936, the Reich Church was created which had a swastika instead of a
cross and Mein Kampf instead of the bible. Only invited Nazis were allowed to give sermons in a
Reich Church.
In 1937, Hitler started a concerted attack on the Catholic Church arresting priests and those not
endorsing the Nazi party and in 1937 pope Pius XI, issued a statement condemning Nazi ideology.
The Protestant response to the Nazis was split. The “German Christians” led by Ludwig Muller believed that any member of
the church who had Jewish ancestry should be sacked from the church. Those who opposed the the Nazis were called the
Confessing Church. The Confessing Church was led by Martin Niemoller and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Neimoller was
eventually arrested and sent to a concentration camp for 7 years in solitary confinement. Bonhoeffer was executed by the
Nazis. The Confessing church sought to secretly train ministers, and to hide Jews from the Nazis. Some of the members
were associated with a failed assassination attempt on Hitler.
“First they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out - because I was not a Jew. Then they came for the Communists, and I did
not speak out -because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out -because I was
not a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me!” Martin Niemoller
Defeat & Death
After the entry of the United States into the war and the numerous fronts the German army was fighting, Hitler's armies
begin to be defeated and Berlin came under direct attack. On April 30, 1945 whilst Soviet troops were within a short
distance from Hitler’s location he and Eva Braun (Hitler’s long term mistress who he married the day before) committed
suicide. Hitler's body was put in a bomb crater and partially burned with gasoline and hastily buried in a garden. The
Russians obtained his body conducted an autopsy and continuous moved his body to avoid creating a shrine. Hitler was
eventually cremated with his ashes being dumped into the Elbe River.
Ulladulla Coastal Church Inc.
Phone: 02 4454 1450 Email: info@coastalchurch.org.au Web: http://www.coastalchurch.org.au/
Services: 4pm Sunday, Ulladulla Public School Hall

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