Adolf HitlerFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia"Hitler" redirects here. For other uses, see .Adolf HitlerHitler in 1938In-office
2 August 1934 – 30 April 1945Preceded by()Succeeded by (President)In-office
30 January 1933 – 30 April 1945President (1933–1934)Deputy (1933–1934)
(1941–1945)Preceded bySucceeded byIn office
29 July 1921 – 30 April 1945Deputy (1933–1941)Preceded by (Chairman)Succeeded by ()Personal detailsBorn20 April 1889
, Died30 April 1945 (aged 56)
, Cause of deathCitizenshipAustrian (1889–1925)None (1925–1932)German (1932–1945)Political party (1921–1945)Other political
affiliations(1919–20)Spouse(s) (m. 1945)MotherFatherRelativesCabinetSignatureMilitary serviceAllegianceBranchService years1914–1920RankUnit16th Bavarian Reserve RegimentWars ()AwardsIron Cross Second Class
Adolf Hitler (German: (); 20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was a German politician and leader of the (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; NSDAP). He rose to power as the in 1933, and as in 1934. During his dictatorship from 1933 to 1945, he initiated by on 1 September 1939. He was closely involved in military operations throughout the war and was central to the perpetration of . Hitler's actions and ideology are almost universally regarded as . According to historian , "Never in history has such ruination—physical and moral—been associated with the name of one man."
Hitler was born in Austria—then part of —and was raised near . He moved to Germany in 1913 and was decorated during his in . In 1919, he joined the (DAP), the precursor of the NSDAP, and was appointed leader of the NSDAP in 1921. In 1923, he attempted to seize power in and was imprisoned. In jail, he dictated the first volume of his autobiography and political manifesto ("My Struggle"). After his release in 1924, Hitler gained popular support by attacking the and promoting, and with oratory and. He frequently denounced international capitalism and communism as part of a .
By November 1932, the Nazi Party had the most seats in the German , but did not have a majority, and no party was able to form a majority parliamentary coalition in support of a candidate for chancellor. Former chancellor and other conservative leaders persuaded President to appoint Hitler as chancellor on 30 January 1933. Shortly after, the Reichstag passed the , which began the process of transforming the into , a dictatorship based on the and ideology of . Hitler aimed to eliminate Jews from Germany and establish a to counter what he saw as the injustice of the post-World War I international order dominated by Britain and France. His first six years in power resulted in rapid economic recovery from the , the abrogation of restrictions imposed on Germany after World War I, and the annexation of territories inhabited by millions of , which gave him significant popular support.
Hitler sought ("living space") for the German people in Eastern Europe, and his aggressive foreign policy is considered the primary cause of World War II in Europe. He directed large-scale rearmament and, on 1 September 1939, invaded Poland, resulting in Britain and France . In June 1941, Hitler ordered an . By the end of 1941, German forces and the European occupied most of Europe and . These gains were gradually reversed after 1941, and in 1945 the defeated the German army. On 29 April 1945, he married his longtime lover . Less than two days later, the couple to avoid capture by the Soviet ; their corpses were burned.
Under Hitler's leadership and , the Nazi regime was responsible for the whom he and his followers deemed (subhumans) or socially undesirable. Hitler and the Nazi regime were also responsible for the killing of an estimated 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war. In addition, 28.7 million soldiers and civilians died as a result of military action in the European theatre. The number of during World War II was unprecedented in warfare, and the casualties constitute the .
