Adolf Hitler
While Mussolini and Stalin were gaining control in their respective countries, a discontented Austrian painter was rising to prominence in Germany. Like Mussolini, Adolf Hitler had served in World War I. He received many Medals of Honor for his work and was even wounded while serving in the war. He also felt enraged by the terms of the peace settlement, which stripped Germany of land and colonies and imposed a huge burden of debt to pay for the damage done to France, Belgium, and Britain. He especially hated the war-guilt clause, which forced Germany to accept blame for starting the war.
In 1919, Hitler joined a small political group that became the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party. The philosophy and policies of this party came to be called Nazism. Nazism was a form of fascism shaped by Hitler’s fanatical ideas about German nationalism and racial superiority. His talent for public speaking quickly made him the leader of this party.
In November 1923, with some 3,000 followers, Hitler tried to overthrow the German government. Authorities easily crushed the uprising and he was sentenced to five years in prison. While in prison, he began writing his autobiography entitled Mein Kampf, or My Struggle. In it, Hitler outlined his views on Germany’s problems and his solutions to them. One such example is the belief that the Jews, Socialist, and Communists were responsible for Germany’s defeat in WWI. He also proposed that Germany should strengthen its military and expand its borders, all in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He also called for purifying the called Aryan race (blond hair, blue eyed Germans) by removing those groups he considered undesirable (Jews, Communists, Gypsies, Poles, Disable People, and Jehovah’s Witnesses).
In 1933, Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany. Soon after, he suspended freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Thousands of Nazi thugs waged a violent campaign that silenced those who opposed Hitler. By 1934, he would go on to become both Chancellor and President, giving himself the name Der Führer, or “The Leader.” He would continue on by expanding Germany’s borders, building up its military, and employing many unemployed in an effort to restore Germany to the great nation it once was.
In 1919, Hitler joined a small political group that became the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or Nazi Party. The philosophy and policies of this party came to be called Nazism. Nazism was a form of fascism shaped by Hitler’s fanatical ideas about German nationalism and racial superiority. His talent for public speaking quickly made him the leader of this party.
In November 1923, with some 3,000 followers, Hitler tried to overthrow the German government. Authorities easily crushed the uprising and he was sentenced to five years in prison. While in prison, he began writing his autobiography entitled Mein Kampf, or My Struggle. In it, Hitler outlined his views on Germany’s problems and his solutions to them. One such example is the belief that the Jews, Socialist, and Communists were responsible for Germany’s defeat in WWI. He also proposed that Germany should strengthen its military and expand its borders, all in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles. He also called for purifying the called Aryan race (blond hair, blue eyed Germans) by removing those groups he considered undesirable (Jews, Communists, Gypsies, Poles, Disable People, and Jehovah’s Witnesses).
In 1933, Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany. Soon after, he suspended freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Thousands of Nazi thugs waged a violent campaign that silenced those who opposed Hitler. By 1934, he would go on to become both Chancellor and President, giving himself the name Der Führer, or “The Leader.” He would continue on by expanding Germany’s borders, building up its military, and employing many unemployed in an effort to restore Germany to the great nation it once was.