Adolf Hitler - Biography, Rise to Power, & Facts
                     A D O L F  H I T L E R  |  B I O G R A P H Y,  R I S E  
T O  P O W E R ,  &  FA C T S
I N T R O D U C T I O N
Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany from 1933 
to 1945. He was leader of the Nazi party and 
became a powerful dictator. Hitler started World 
War II by invading Poland and then invading 
many other European countries. He is also known 
for wanting to exterminate the Jewish people in 
the Holocaust.
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B I RT H
Adolf was born on April 20, 1889 in a city named 
Braunau am Inn in the country of Austria. His 
family moved around some, living a short while in 
Germany and then back to Austria.
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E D U C AT I O N
Adolf did not do well in school. He was expelled 
from a couple of schools before he moved to 
Vienna, Austria to pursue his dream of becoming 
an artist. 
While living in Vienna, Hitler found that he did not 
have much artistic talent and he soon became 
very poor. He would later move to Munich, 
Germany in hopes of becoming an architect.
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S O L D I E R  I N  W O R L D  
WA R  1
When World War I began, Hitler joined the 
German army. Adolf was awarded twice with the 
Iron Cross for bravery. It was during World War I 
that Hitler became a strong German patriot and 
also came to love war.
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R I S E  I N  P O W E R
After the war, Hitler entered politics. Many 
Germans were upset that they had lost the war. 
They were also not happy with the Treaty of 
Versailles, which not only blamed the war on 
Germany, but took land from Germany.
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P O L I T I C S
Once entering politics, Hitler discovered that he 
was gifted in giving speeches. His speeches were 
powerful and people believed what he said. Hitler 
joined the Nazi party and soon became its leader.
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C H A N C E L L O R  
O F  G E R M A N Y
He promised Germany that if he became leader 
he would restore Germany to greatness in 
Europe. In 1933 he was elected Chancellor of 
Germany.
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W O R L D  WA R  I I
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.
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T H E  H O L O C A U S T  A N D  E T H N I C  
C L E A N S I N G
Hitler was responsible for some of the most 
horrible crimes committed in human history. He 
hated Jewish people and wanted to exterminate 
them from Germany. He forced Jewish people to 
go to concentration camps where 6 million Jews 
were killed during World War II. He also had other 
people and races he didn't like killed including 
handicapped people.
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F A C T S  A B O U T  H I T L E R
• Hitler loved the circus, especially the acrobats. 
• He never took his coat off, no matter how hot 
it got. 
• He didn't exercise and didn't like sports. 
• Only one of Hitler's 5 siblings survived 
childhood, his sister Paula. 
• Hitler was temporarily blind from a mustard 
gas attack during World War I. 
• He had a cat named Schnitzel.
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