Summary
Highlights
Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in Austria-Hungary. His father, Alois Hitler (originally Schicklgruber), had a complicated marital history, eventually marrying his much younger cousin, Clara, Adolf's mother. Clara doted on Adolf after their three previous children died in infancy.
The family moved frequently, leading Adolf to attend multiple elementary schools. His relationship with his strict father was difficult, in contrast to his strong bond with his mother. Initially, Hitler excelled in school, enjoying war games and reading, but as he grew older, he became rebellious and his grades declined, further straining his relationship with his father.
Hitler's six-year-old brother died at a young age, deeply affecting him. Neighbors observed strange behavior from him, and his school performance continued to worsen. He expressed a desire to become an artist, which angered his father, who later died of a lung hemorrhage. Hitler subsequently dropped out of high school without taking his final exams.
For three years, Hitler was unemployed, spending time at the opera with his friend August Kubizek, who noted Hitler's passionate but quick-tempered nature. At 18, Hitler attempted to enter art school in Vienna but failed. After his mother's death, he returned to Vienna, living in homeless shelters and selling postcards he painted.
During his time in Vienna, Hitler's extreme ideological beliefs began to form. Widespread anti-Semitism and right-wing anti-Semitic publications in the city greatly influenced him. He adopted the belief in a struggle between races, identifying Germans as pure Aryans and Jews as inferior. Disliking Austria-Hungary's multi-ethnic composition, he moved to Munich, Germany, at 24 to avoid military service.
The outbreak of World War I in 1914 gave Hitler purpose, as he volunteered for the German Army. He considered it the best time of his life, earning an Iron Cross for bravery. He was injured in 1916 and temporarily blinded by a gas attack in 1918. Germany's defeat and the harsh terms of the peace treaty left Hitler outraged, fueling his hatred towards communists and Jews, whom he blamed for Germany's perceived "stab in the back."