Hitler in Control
By: Kenneth
Dinkajay802@aol.com
Without referring to him as a dictator, who was Adolf Hitler? Alois Hitler, 48, and a pregnant Klara-Polzl, 24, married in 1885. Klara was technically the niece of Alois, the granddaughter of his uncle Heidler, who was his caregiver after his mother’s death. Alois spent a large majority of his life as an Austrian civil service, while his wife took care of the family. Adolf Hitler was the fourth child of the couple born the 20th of April 1889. At the age of 58, Alois retired from his work as a civil servant, a life that caused him to become domineering and was home with the family permanently.
As a young boy, Adolf Hitler was heavily involved and interested in the Catholic Church and had thoughts of becoming a priest. Along with the stern focus on the Catholic Church, pictures of buildings, architecture, artwork and war caught Hitler eyes. Often seen rambling through his war collection books and photos, Hitler enjoyed the game of Cowboys and Indians, as well as the idea of battle and war with the neighborhood children.
Upon his former civil service father’s request, Hitler attended a secondary technical school because his father wanted his son to trace his footsteps and become a civil servant. The force behind his father’s decision caused Hitler to completely show a disinterest in school and his work, resulting in detainment in his freshman year. During the second year when his grades started to improve, Hitler became amazed with German history and figures such as Bismarck and Frederic the Great. Subject areas like mathematics and science were never areas of interest to the young Hitler but required at a technical school. At the age of 13 when he started to become settled in the school of his father’s choosing, Hitler suffered a difficult blow when his father passed away in 1903. After his father's death, Hilter was presented with the Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation in Linz Cathedral (to become a priest), at which time his interest in the church left him.
When his grades started to show great improvement, the death of his father
caused him to be let go from his recent school. His start at a second new school
began with failing marks but he later regained himself. At this new school,
things started to look brighter but he would never receive his diploma. Along
with dropping out of school, Hitler would soon lose his mother, who suffered
from breast cancer. She died on the 21st of December
1907.
Following the death of his mother, his next destination was Vienna, where he planned to attend an art academy. Upon applying, his drawing and artwork would face rejection. This rejection from the art school and unwillingness to work left Hitler homeless. At the age of 21, a homeless Hitler started to make a living by selling his paintings to local Jewish store owners in Vienna. While there, Hitler discovered a heightened interest in the political life and its dealings.
Spending four years in Vienna, Hitler suddenly decided to relocate to Germany, avoiding military service drafting at 24. Although he had fled in fear, attending the German proclamation led to his enlisting in the German army, Bavarian regiment. After two years spent in battle, Hitler would suffer his first injury, which forced him into light duty. He would later plead for a return back into battle, which left him with a second injury. The war would end without Hitler’s return to battle and a German defeat that upset him.
Life after the war resulted in Hitler becoming an undercover German army agent, which started his political career. His first mission as an undercover agent was to attend a meeting of the German Worker’s Party. Standing out as a supporter of the issues presented at the party meeting, it was later requested that Hitler join the party. Due to his persuasive speaking and ideas, he was able to move up through the ranks. The German Worker’s Party was soon renamed the Nationalist Social German Worker’s Party, which was shortened to “Nazi” at Hitler’s request. Hitler became known outside the party for speaking out on other political parties such as the Marxists and Jews. He would later become the leader of the party through negotiation.
As the new leader of the Nazi party, Hitler’s first
mission was to overthrow the German leaders, which he attempted by using a gun.
When this attempt failed, he ordered for his troops to march on Munich, which
caused a riot and lead to many deaths. The riot on Munich led to Hitler being
placed on trial for treason and later found guilty. While in jail, the Mein
Kamph was drafted, in which he created his own government, rules, and
categories based upon physical
appearance.
"...it [Nazi philosophy] by no means believes in an equality of races, but along with their difference it recognizes their higher or lesser value and feels itself obligated to promote the victory of the better and stronger, and demand the subordination of the inferior and weaker in accordance with the eternal will that dominates this universe." - Hitler states in Mein Kampf.
After spending nine months of his year-long prison term, Hitler placed himself in exile and wasn’t heard from. In 1929, the United States was hit by The Great Depression. However, Germany was also hit hard, as many resources that were provided to the country came from the United States. The German economy suffered greatly and only then did Hitler reappear with his only shot at gaining control. The only way to do this through his eyes was to become president of Germany.
When the presidential election between current
president Hindenburg and Hitler turned in the favor of Hindenburg, Hitler pushed
to overthrow the president. Through his persistent negotiating and labeled
backstabbing tactics, he was made Chancellor of Germany. Hitler was one step
away from control when he got President Hindenburg to sign two bills; one
released the incarcerated Nazi individuals from jail, the other imprisoned
anyone who presented a threat to the party. Along with these two bills, Hitler
held a vote of the German government for the Enabling Act, which would make him
sole leader of Germany. The vote was in Hitler’s favor in 1933. The Enabling
Act would make Hitler leader of Germany and completely put an end to a once
Democratic country. With Hitler in power, the Jews would consistently live in
fear and boycotts were held to rid the country of shops and stores owned by
Jewish individuals. 
“All the human culture, all the results of art, science, and technology that we see before us today, are almost exclusively the creative product of the Aryan..."
The country of Germany was being pulled apart under Hitler’s ruling. Because it was never really an important issue to him, elementary and secondary schools would also feel the raft of his leadership. Children were no longer being taught the basics but more of the history of Germany and the Nazi party. Higher education was also out of reach to the citizens under Hitler’s control, as books were being burned with professors obligated to follow his command.
After World War II, terror for the Jews had begun when many were gassed and killed in concentration camps. The extermination of many Jews had a lot to do with the racism on Hitler’s part. The extent of his leadership knew no sensitivity, as men, women, children and babies were shot and murdered, worked to death or gassed.
In 1945, his brute terror would end with the suicide/murder of his wife and himself.
Gavin, Philip The Rise of Adolf Hitler. (1996). The Rise Of Adolf Hitler. In The History Place [Web].
Retrieved Nov 05, 2005, from
http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/index.htm
http://www.slate.com/id/2160289/