Before the War

Adolf Hitler bears direct responsibility for the deaths of more than 30 million people, most of them killed between 1939 and 1945. His political ideas originated in the racist radicalism of his homeland, a racism he digested whilst he was a young man in Vienna. 

In 1913, he enlisted in the German army. He was twice wounded, and decorated, during World War One. His political career began in 1918, fired by loathing for the German revolution of 1918/19 and the Weimar Republic, which he (and countless others) regarded as symbolic of Germany's defeat in the war and of the illegitimate 'power of Jews and Bolsheviks'.

In 1919 he joined the fascist German Workers' Party (DAP), whilst still employed by the German army as a propagandist. Demonstrating rare talent as a rabble-rouser, he played to the resentments of right-wingers, promising extremist 'remedies' to Germany's problems, including the killing of Jews, which few believed would ever be enacted. By July 1921 he was the unquestioned leader of what had become the NSDAP, the Nazi Party.

In 1923 Hitler attempted an armed uprising in Munich (along the lines of Mussolini's 1922 march on Rome), but this collapsed, and he was put behind bars for nine months. In 1925 he re-founded the Nazi Party as a vote-winning machine, its core ideas intact, in an attempt to use democracy as the means of its own destruction.  Although his party never won an overall majority in Germany, on 30 January 1933 Hitler became chancellor of a coalition government. Many believed power would 'tame' him, but the descent into the hell of the Third Reich was rapid. By 1938 radicalism, terror, expansionism had become the norm, and many Germans tolerated the situation - with fear and propaganda being partial explanations for this acceptance.

Wartime Role

In order for Germany to grow, Hitler thought the country needed more land or "living space". He first annexed Austria as part of Germany and then took over part of Czechoslovakia. This wasn't enough, however. On September 1, 1939 Germany invaded Poland and World War II began. Hitler formed an alliance with the Axis Powers of Japan and Italy. They were fighting the Allied Powers of Britain, France, the Soviet Union, and the United States.

Hitler's army began to take over much of Europe. They attacked quickly in what was called Blitzkrieg or "lightning war". Soon Germany had captured much of Europe including France, Denmark, and Belgium.  After failing to force Great Britain from the war, Hitler's forces invaded the Soviet Union, unleashing the most destructive and deadly campaign of war in human history. 

Hitler was responsible for some of the most horrible crimes committed in human history. He forced Jewish people into concentration camps where 6 million Jews were killed during World War II.