How Hitler's Austrian Roots Affected His German Acceptance

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming chancellor in 1933 and then taking the title of Führer und Reichskanzler in 1934. Hitler's invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the start of World War II.

Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn in Austria-Hungary and was raised near Linz. He lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s before moving to Germany in 1913. In 1919, he joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor of the Nazi Party, and in 1921 was appointed leader of the Nazi Party.

Hitler's Austrian background was not a barrier to his acceptance by Germans. In fact, his birthplace of Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938, in an event known as the Anschluss. This annexation was widely popular in both Germany and Austria, with 99.75% of Austrians voting in favour of the annexation in a 1938 referendum.

Hitler's Austrian origins

Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, in 1889. He was raised near Linz, and lived in Vienna in the first decade of the 1900s before moving to Germany in 1913. Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945.

Hitler's father, Alois Hitler, was the illegitimate child of Maria Schicklgruber. Alois was brought up in the family of his mother's husband's brother, Johann Nepomuk Hiedler, and in 1876, Alois was made legitimate and his name was changed to Hitler.

Hitler's family moved to Leonding in 1894, and in 1895 they moved to Hafeld, near Lambach, where Alois farmed and kept bees. In 1897, the family moved to Lambach, and in 1898 they moved to Linz, the capital of Upper Austria. Hitler wanted a career in the visual arts, but his father wanted him to enter the Habsburg civil service. After Alois's death, Hitler's mother, Klara, allowed him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Hitler applied to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna but was rejected twice. After his mother's death in 1907, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he lived until 1913.

Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, in 1913 to avoid arrest for evading his military service obligation to Habsburg Austria. He financed the move with the last instalment of his inheritance from his father. In Munich, he continued to drift, supporting himself with his watercolour paintings and sketches.

Hitler's time in Vienna was influential in forming his ideology. He was influenced by two political movements: the German racist nationalism propagated by the Upper Austrian Pan-German politician Georg von Schönerer, and the antisemitism of Karl Lueger, Mayor of Vienna from 1897 to 1910. While Hitler had personal and business relationships with Jews in Vienna, he adopted an antisemitic ideology after World War I.

Hitler's rise to power

The rise of Adolf Hitler from an unknown soldier to the Führer of Germany is a complex and multi-faceted story. Here is a brief overview of Hitler's rise to power:

Early Life and Entry into Politics:

Hitler was born in Austria in 1889 and served in the German Army during World War I. After the war, he became involved in politics, joining the German Workers' Party in Munich in 1919. He quickly rose through the ranks due to his charismatic personality and dynamic leadership. By 1920, he was put in charge of the party's propaganda, and he played a key role in renaming the party the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party). Hitler's oratory skills and propaganda campaigns attracted a devoted cadre of followers, including some who would become prominent Nazis.

The Beer Hall Putsch and Imprisonment:

In 1923, Hitler and his supporters attempted a coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich. The coup failed, and Hitler was arrested and put on trial for treason. However, the trial gave Hitler a platform to spread his nationalist and anti-Semitic ideology. He was sentenced to five years in prison but served only nine months. During his imprisonment, he wrote "Mein Kampf," which became the manifesto of National Socialism.

Rebuilding the Nazi Party:

After his release, Hitler changed tactics and decided to pursue power through legal and democratic means. He began campaigning furiously, exploiting the economic crisis and criticising the ruling democratic government. The Nazi Party ran on a platform of anti-communism, antisemitism, and ultranationalism, which resonated with a growing number of Germans, especially during the Great Depression. Hitler also formed alliances with business leaders and industrialists, who provided financial support and saw him as a bulwark against communism.

Rise to Chancellor:

In 1932, Hitler ran for the presidency but was defeated by Paul von Hindenburg. However, the Nazi Party became the largest party in the Reichstag in the same year. In January 1933, after a series of backroom negotiations and political manoeuvrings, Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor of Germany. Hitler's cabinet included few Nazis at first, but he quickly began consolidating power.

Dictatorship and Absolute Power:

Hitler's invasion of Poland

On September 1, 1939, Hitler ordered an invasion of Poland, marking the beginning of World War II. The invasion was a joint attack by Nazi Germany, the Slovak Republic, and the Soviet Union. The German invasion began a week after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union. The aim of the invasion was to divide Polish territory and exterminate all Poles, who were deemed "inferior people".

The German attack on Poland came from three directions: a main attack over the western Polish border by Army Group South, a second route of attack from northern Prussia by Army Group North, and a tertiary attack by Slovak units from Slovakia. All three assaults were planned to converge on Warsaw, with the main Polish army encircled and destroyed west of the Vistula.

The Polish army, though 1 million strong, was severely under-equipped and attempted to take the Germans head-on rather than falling back to more natural defensive positions. The outmoded thinking of Polish commanders, coupled with their antiquated military, was no match for the overwhelming and modernised German forces.

The invasion of Poland was the first step in Hitler's plan to create Lebensraum ("living space") for Germans. It was also the first time the blitzkrieg strategy was used, which would later be employed in the invasions of France and the Soviet Union.

Hitler's role in the Holocaust

Hitler's Ideology and Rise to Power:

Adolf Hitler, the Austrian-born leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazis), played a pivotal role in the Holocaust. His ideology was rooted in extreme nationalism, antisemitism, and racial purity. In his book, "Mein Kampf," Hitler expressed his desire to unite all Germans and create a "Greater Germany." He advocated for the unification of Germany and Austria, considering the postwar international borders unfair and illegitimate. Hitler's rise to power began in 1921 when he became the undisputed leader of the Nazi Party. He gained fame and a following after his arrest and trial for attempting to overthrow the German government in 1923.

Hitler's Antisemitism and Racial Ideology:

Hitler's antisemitism was genuine and deeply rooted in his beliefs. He considered Jews an inferior race and a destructive force to the German "Aryan" race. This sentiment was shared by many Germans and Austrians, who welcomed policies targeting Jews. Hitler's ideology also included the idea of "Lebensraum," or "living space," which entailed seizing territory in Eastern Europe to create space for Germans while removing indigenous and "inferior" populations. This expansionist policy contributed to the outbreak of World War II.

Hitler's Propaganda and Political Strategies:

Hitler was a powerful speaker who effectively used propaganda to spread his message. He presented himself as a strong leader who could restore Germany to its former glory. The Nazis utilised modern propaganda techniques, such as strong images and simple messages, to attract new, unemployed, and alienated voters. They capitalised on the economic crisis and political instability in Germany during the Great Depression, promising prosperity and national revival. Hitler's charisma and the Nazis' effective propaganda played a significant role in their electoral success and rise to power.

Hitler's Role in Shaping Nazi Policies:

Hitler rarely participated directly in actions against Jews. Instead, he directed his security forces, the SS, SA, and SD, led by Heinrich Himmler, to carry out these tasks. However, Hitler was involved in all significant policy decisions, including those targeting Jews. For example, he personally approved the secret euthanasia programme, T-4, which targeted people with disabilities. The Nazis' persecution of Jews began with exclusionary policies, but quickly escalated to more direct actions, such as the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 and Kristallnacht in 1938.

Hitler's Impact on the Holocaust:

Hitler's ideology and actions created an environment conducive to the Holocaust. His expansionist policies and antisemitism set the stage for the persecution and eventual genocide of European Jews. The invasion of Poland in 1939 brought three million Jews under German control, leading to their segregation and containment in ghettos. As the war progressed, the Nazis' antisemitic policies became more lethal and genocidal. The invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 further intensified violent actions against Jews, with propaganda directly linking the invasion to the Jewish population. The Wannsee Conference in 1942 coordinated the Nazis' genocidal policies, resulting in the establishment of extermination camps.

In conclusion, Hitler's role in the Holocaust was central and multifaceted. His ideology, propaganda, and political strategies created an environment of hatred and persecution, which ultimately led to the systematic murder of millions of European Jews during World War II.

Hitler's death and the fall of Nazi Germany

Hitler's refusal to admit defeat led to massive destruction of German infrastructure and additional war-related deaths in the closing months of the war. The Allies initiated a policy of denazification and put many of the surviving Nazi leadership on trial for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials.

On 30 April 1945, Hitler committed suicide via a gunshot to the head after it became clear that Germany would lose the Battle of Berlin, which led to the end of World War II in Europe. Eva Braun, his wife of one day, also committed suicide by cyanide poisoning. In accordance with Hitler's prior written and verbal instructions, their remains were burned in the garden behind the Reich Chancellery. The news of Hitler's death was announced on German radio the next day, 1 May.

The Allies defeated Germany and entered the capital, Berlin, in May 1945, ending World War II in Europe. Hitler's death and the fall of Nazi Germany were the result of a series of military defeats and the successful invasion of Germany by the Allies.

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