1. Background prior to coming to power
Adolf Hitler was born in the small Austrian village of Braunau Am Inn just across the border from German Bavaria on April 20, 1889. He was born in austria. Adolf was born healthy and was baptized a Roman Catholic. Hitler's father was then 52 years old. Throughout his early days, Adolf's mother feared losing him as well and lavished affection on him. The mom lost three children before hitler. They settled into a small house with a garden next to a cemetery. He found school easy and got good grades with little effort. One day, young Hitler went rummaging through his father's book collection and came across several of a military nature, including a picture book on the War of 1870 - 1871 between the Germans and the French. By Hitler's own account, this book became an obsession.Hitler dreamt of becoming an artist, but his father wouldn't have it. In January, 1903, Hitler's father died suddenly of a lung hemorrhage, leaving his thirteen year old son as head of the Hitler household. Free of discipline, Hitler's grades continued to plummet and he dropped out of school in 1905, at age 16. After two years of inactivity, He decided to pursue an education in the arts and moved to Vienna. His test drawings for Academy admittance were rejected though and Hitler was bitterly disappointed.On December 21, Adolf's mother died of natural causes. The death was a shock to Hitler; he no longer had parents. From age 18 to 24 Hitler attempted to make in Artist in Vienna but failed miserably and instead lived on the streets and in shelters. In this time Hitler grew interested in politics. He admired the Social Democrats for their ability to organize demonstrations and propaganda techniques. Like many of the middle class in Vienna and Germany at the time, the mayor of Vienna, Karl Lueger was an anti-semite (prejudiced against Jews). Hitler still had some Jewish friends and he did not openly practice racism but his mind was absorbing the hateful messages.
2. How they came to power
3. Once in power, how did they change their country, both positive and negative
4. What was their role in World War II-alliance, strategy/tactics,
hitler was part of the axis powers. axis powers consisted of germany italy and japanese. they became the axis powers because of the anti comunist pact they all three signed.
5. How did they lose power
April 30, 1945 as the day that Hitler committed suicide.At the beginning of 1945, the war was not going in Germany's favor. In the west, British and American troops were perched on the German border, while in Poland the Soviets launched a new offensive which resulted in the liberation of Warsaw and Krakow. The Hungarian capital of Budapest fell in Feburary -- by April 13, Vienna was in Russian hands.Meanwhile, by early March Allied troops had crossed the Rhine and reached Elbe on April 11. With the Soviets breaching the defense line on the Oder five days later, the path to Berlin laid wide open.Germany’s chances must have looked progressively bleaker to Hitler from his subterranean abode. On April 29, Hitler married Eva Braun. Following the brief celebration, Hitler settled the terms of his last will and testament where he shed any responsibility of having had any part in causing the war and instead claimed international Jewry was the real culprit. In it he also set up the succeeding chain of command, naming Admiral Karl Dönitz his successor. Finally on April 30, Hitler and his new wife committed suicide. She accomplished it by ingesting cyanide and Hitler by shooting himself through the mouth. The bodies were burned as Hitler had instructed. According to British historian Allan Bullock, Hitler’s death “was anything but a hero’s end; by committing suicide he deliberately abandoned his responsibilities and took a way out which in earlier years he had strongly condemned a coward’s.”
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