Adolf Hitler was the dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945, leader of the Nazi Party, the perpetrator of the genocide known as Holocaust, initiator of World War II, and widely considered one the most evil leaders in history.
Arguably the most hated person to ever live, Adolf Hitler, was born on April 20, 1889, in Braunau am Inn, a town in Austria on the border with Germany.
Facts About Adolf Hitler
Nobody till date can be compared with Hitler’s inhumanity as he was the sole reason for the deaths of more than 6 million Jews and 5 million commoners.
However, there are a few things that you do not know about him that might leave you surprised. So, here are some interesting facts about Adolf Hitler that you probably did not know.
1. Adolf Schicklgruber?
Adolf Hitler’s name was almost Adolf Schicklgruber or Adolf Hiedler. Hitler’s father, Alois, was married to Maria Anna Schicklgruber and given her surname.
But when he was about 40 years old, he decided to adopt his stepfather’s last name, Hiedler. Legally, Hitler was his new last name, although the reason for the change in spelling is unknown.
2. Hitler WWI
At the outbreak of World War I, Adolf Hitler was in Munich, and he voluntarily listed himself to serve the German army.
Although he was an Austrian Citizen and should have been sent back to his nation, he was allowed to serve in the army, which was an administrative error.
Adolf was decorated for bravery and received Iron Cross First Class and Black Wound Badge. It is also said that he lost one of his testicles during WWI.
3. ‘Mein Kampf’ (My Struggle)
In 1923, Hitler and a few members of the Nazi party tried Beer Hall Putsch, a coup attempt that failed to land him in jail for a year.
During his imprisonment, he wrote Mein Kampf, an autobiography describing his antisemitic ideas and plans for transforming German society into a single race community.
Volume 1 of Mein Kampf was published in 1925, and 2nd volume a year later. The book was translated into 11 languages, and more than 11 million copies were sold. This book was proactive and helped to elevate him to power.
4. Nobel Peace Prize Nomination
Adolf Hitler was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize award in 1939 by a Swedish legislator a few months before Germany started World War II.
Hitler was sarcastically called a “God-given fighter of peace,” and his book Mein Kampf as “the best and most popular piece of literature in the world.” Although it was meant to be a joke, it created chaos and quickly removed the nomination.
However, a German journalist who was a vocal critic of Hitler won the peace prize in 1935. Hitler felt it was an ‘insult’ to Nazism and Germany, so he banned all Germans from receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.
5. Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” in 1938
Do you know what Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Adolf Hitler have in common? All of them won Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” at some point in their life.
Although giving this award to Hitler had been a controversial choice, the publication claims to pick its recipients based on the media coverage they had in a year.
The award is believed not always to mean to be an endorsement. Other controversial people also include people like Joseph Stalin and Osama Bin Laden.
6. How did Hitler die
Hitler met his lover, Eva Braun, when she was 17 years old. Hitler had an intimate relationship with Geli Raubal, his’s half-niece. But after her suicide in 1931, Hitler began seeing Braun.
In April28th-29th 1945, Hitler and Braun got married in a small civil ceremony. They got married forty hours before their death.
On April 30, a few hours after saying their farewell to members of the inner circle, they committed suicide. Braun took a cyanide capsule, and Hitler shot himself in the right temple with his pistol.
7. The Iconic Mustache
The mustache you see in almost every of Adolf Hitler’s photos was not always like this. He had a full mustache during WWI. During the gas attacks, Hitler’s mustache prevented complete airlock resulting in an ineffective gas mask.
One mustard gas attack made him suffer from “hysterical blindness,” He was ordered to cut his fancy mustache by supervisors. He instead trimmed it to the toothbrush-shaped style.
8. Hitler’s Noble Jew
Eduard Bloch was a Jewish physician who cared for Hitler’s mother when she had cancer. The Jewish-Austrian doctor didn’t charge Hitler’s family any money seeing the family’s financial state.
Hitler showed his gratitude by never sentencing him to a concentration camp and had him protected by the Gestapo. Hitler referred to him as the “Noble Jew.”
9. Hitler Artwork
Adolf Hitler had a dream of becoming an artist throughout his youth age. He dropped out of school and applied to the Vienna Academy of Art for two consecutive years but was denied both years.
After his mother died of breast cancer, Hitler spent four years of his life living in the streets trying to sell postcards of his artwork for bread.
Hitler had a passion for painting and architecture, which is clearly depicted in his artworks, where he showed attention to architecture and detailing. His interest significantly increased after he became a führer (leader).
His artworks like The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich are kept archived in the basement of the Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C.
10. Hitler Never Visited an Extermination Camp
About 1200 Nazi extermination camps were responsible for the infamous Holocaust. The first Nazi concentration camp was built to torture the opposing politicians.
But during World War II, these camps became the place where millions of commoners were enslaved, tortured, and brutally killed in mass numbers.
These facts about Hitler that he didn’t visit any extermination camps are supported by the claims that Hitler was not responsible for the genocide and it was Himmler who was the main culprit.
11. Hitler’s Leadership Qualities
Hitler was clear about his vision with his charismatic attitude which helped him in political skills and agendas. Hitler had all those traits for the leadership of the country or organization.
Hitler was always leading from the front with full determination and tremendous tenacity. He never ignored anyone who was around and close to him. He maintained good leader-member relation and even visited them when they were physically ill.
However, it is objected by Hitler’s involvement in “The Final Solution,” a program aimed to murder every Jew within German-controlled territories.
Hitler is hands down the evilest and heartless person one could imagine as a dictator. He died on April 30, 1945, at the age of 56.
