Damon Mcknight
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who served as the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn in Austria-Hungary and moved to Germany in 1913. He developed German nationalist ideas from a young age and expressed loyalty only to Germany. In 1919, he joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor of the Nazi Party, and in 1921 he was appointed leader of the Nazi Party. In 1933, Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany, and he used his position to pursue an expansionist foreign policy, including the annexation of Austria, known as the Anschluss.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date and place of birth | 20 April 1889, Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary |
| Family | Fourth of six children born to Alois Hitler and Klara Pölzl |
| Early life | Moved to Passau, Germany, in 1892, then to Linz, Austria, in 1893, and finally back to Leonding, Austria, in 1894 |
| Education | Enrolled at the Realschule in Steyr in 1904; studied fine art in Vienna in 1907 |
| Military service | Conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army but deemed unfit; voluntarily enlisted in the Bavarian Army during World War I |
| Citizenship | Austrian by birth; acquired German citizenship in 1913; renounced Austrian citizenship in 1925 |
| Political career | Appointed leader of the Nazi Party in 1921; appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 |
| Rule | Dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945; smashed democratic institutions and transformed Germany into a war state |
| Foreign policy goals | Wanted to redraw the map of post-World War I Europe; planned to unite Austria and Germany; colluded with Austrian Nazis to annex Austria to Germany |
| Ideology | German nationalist ideas; loyalty only to Germany; believed in the superiority of the Aryan race and the extermination of Jews and other "inferior" peoples |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's German citizenship
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, on 20 April 1889. When he was three years old, his family moved to Passau, Germany, following his father's promotion to the custom administration there. The family returned to Austria a year later, and Hitler acquired a distinctive lower Bavarian dialect, rather than Austrian German, which marked his speech throughout his life.
Hitler moved to Germany in 1913, settling in Munich. However, he was still an Austrian citizen at this time. During World War I, Hitler served in the Bavarian Army, despite technically being an Austrian citizen. This was likely due to an administrative error, as he should have been returned to Austria. After the war, Hitler remained in Germany and joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919, which would become the precursor to the Nazi Party.
Hitler formally renounced his Austrian citizenship on 7 April 1925. He had been imprisoned for his role in the failed Beer Hall Putsch, and upon his release, the political climate in Germany had shifted, limiting his opportunities for political agitation. Hitler agreed to respect the state's authority and promised to seek political power only through the democratic process, which led to the ban on the Nazi Party being lifted.
Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 following a series of electoral victories by the Nazi Party. As chancellor, he aimed to bring about an Austro-German union and redraw the map of post-World War I Europe, which he considered unfair and illegitimate. In 1938, Hitler began his long-promised expansion of national boundaries, annexing Austria to Germany in what became known as the Anschluss.
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Hitler's nationalism
Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in 1919, which later became the Nazi Party, and began working full-time for the party after being discharged from the Army in 1920. He was attracted to the party's nationalist, anti-Marxist, and antisemitic ideas, and he designed the party's banner featuring a swastika, a symbol of Germanic identity and nationalism.
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Hitler's time in the German Army
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who served as the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until 1945. However, before rising to power, Hitler spent time in the German Army during World War I.
Hitler received the final part of his father's estate in May 1913 and moved to Munich, Germany. In 1914, he was conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian Army and journeyed to Salzburg for a medical assessment. Deemed unfit for service, Hitler returned to Munich. When World War I broke out in August 1914, Hitler voluntarily enlisted in the Bavarian Army. This was considered an administrative error by the Bavarian authorities, as Hitler was an Austrian citizen and should have been returned to Austria. Nevertheless, Hitler served as a dispatch runner on the Western Front in France and Belgium, spending a significant amount of time at the regimental headquarters.
During his time in the Bavarian Army, Hitler continued to advocate for German nationalist ideas, which he had developed from a young age. He urged his unit to stay out of the fighting and not take sides. After the war, Hitler was allowed to avoid discharge due to his anti-communist views. In June 1919, he was transferred to the demobilization office of the 2nd Infantry Regiment.
Hitler was discharged from the Army on 31 March 1920 and began working full-time for the German Workers' Party (DAP), the precursor of the Nazi Party. He was decorated for his service in World War I, receiving the Iron Cross.
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Austria's economic dependence on Germany
Austria and Germany have historically shared close relations due to their intertwined history, with German being the official language in both countries and Germans being the majority ethnic group in both. In the 1910s, Austria-Hungary's ambition to turn Serbia into its protectorate facilitated the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary. This led to World War I, in which Germany entered on the side of Austria-Hungary.
After the war, both countries became republics and were heavily punished in the Treaty of Versailles (1919) and the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye (1919). Austria lost over 60% of its pre-war territory and was reduced to a rump state, the Republic of German-Austria. Both countries faced severe economic hardships, hyperinflation, mass unemployment, and constant riots. In 1918, Austria briefly renamed itself the Republic of German-Austria in an attempt to unite with Germany, but this was forbidden by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
In the 1920s, many Austrians believed that their country could not survive economically without the territories previously held by Austria-Hungary. Some Austrians hoped to restore a form of the empire, while others wanted to unite with Germany. This desire for unification was not new, with discussions and debates about Austria's role in a German nation-state dating back to the 19th century. However, the peace treaties that ended World War I expressly forbade such a union, as European leaders feared the power of a united Germany and Austria.
Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German politician, became the dictator of Nazi Germany in 1933. He fully intended to bring about an Austro-German union and demanded the right to Anschluss (union) between the two countries. In 1938, Nazi Germany, led by Hitler, annexed Austria into Germany, achieving the long-desired union. This annexation resulted in Austria losing control of its economic policy until the formation of the Second Republic in 1945.
In more recent times, Austria's economy has become closely integrated with other European Union (EU) member countries, especially Germany, after it introduced the Euro currency in 1999. Vienna, in particular, has become a finance and consulting hub, attracting foreign investors and establishing itself as the "door to the East." Additionally, tourism, which accounts for about 10% of Austria's GDP, was previously highly dependent on German guests, but this has changed with an increasing number of visitors from Eastern Europe, Russia, and the United States.
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Hitler's expansion of national boundaries
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who served as the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945. Hitler's expansionist policies were driven by his desire to avenge Germany's defeat in the First World War and reverse the dictates of the Treaty of Versailles, which had reduced Germany's power and influence.
Hitler's ideology, as outlined in his autobiography, "Mein Kampf," advocated for the expansion of German national boundaries to incorporate ethnic Germans and acquire additional territory, or Lebensraum. This expansion was justified through racist ideologies, such as anti-Slavism, and the belief in the superiority of the German Aryan race. Hitler admired the United States' westward expansion and sought to emulate this, disregarding the native populations in the lands Germany sought to occupy.
Hitler's first steps towards expansion began with the annexation of Austria in 1938, followed by the destruction of Czechoslovakia in 1938-1939. He also ordered German armed forces into the demilitarized Rhineland in 1936, violating the Treaty of Locarno. In late summer 1939, Hitler's determination to attack Poland brought Europe to the brink of war. This invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, marked the start of the Second World War.
Hitler's expansionist policies were not limited to Europe. He rejected the idea of the Ural Mountains as Germany's eastern border, arguing that only a "living wall" of racially pure Aryans would suffice as a boundary between the "European and Asiatic worlds." This indicated his ambitions for German expansion beyond Europe's traditional borders.
Hitler's desire for expansion was a central component of his political agenda and played a significant role in shaping the course of history during the Second World War. His actions violated previous agreements and treaties, leading to condemnation from other nations, but his early expansionist moves were often met with little intervention.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler was born in Austria-Hungary, but moved to Germany in 1913. He was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War I and became a German citizen. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor of Germany in 1933.
Hitler intended to transform Germany into a war state, intent on conquering Europe for the benefit of the so-called Aryan race. He wanted to rid Europe of Jews and other "inferior" peoples and wage war on the Slavic people of Russia, who he considered to be subhuman.
Hitler colluded with Austrian Nazis to orchestrate the annexation of Austria to Germany, known as the Anschluss. He also appointed a German Nazi to bring the divided Austrian Nazi Party in line and recognize him as their leader.
Hitler's expansionist policies caused Austria to become a major point of contention between Italy and Germany. Mussolini was outraged by a coup attempt in Austria, which was likely ordered by Hitler. However, the British and French governments chose a policy of appeasement, hoping to avoid another war.
