Name: Class:

Adolf Hitler
By Jessica McBirney
2017

Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) was a German politician who was a leader of the Nazi Party and later
became a dictator in Germany. Hitler's leadership in Germany resulted in World War II and the
deaths of countless soldiers and citizens, especially Jews, whom Hitler attempted to exterminate
during the war. In this informational text, Jessica McBirney discusses Hitler's rise to power and
what he represents today. As you read, take notes on how Hitler rose to power and why he is
one of the most infamous dictators in history.

[1] Adolf Hitler is maybe the most infamous1

person in history. As the leader of Germany
before and during World War II, he promoted
racist ideas and ordered the murder of
millions of ethnic2 minorities, especially Jews.
He rose to power during a time of crisis in
Germany, and his cruel, violent legacy is often
seen as a warning to the rest of the world of
what can happen when someone is too
obsessed with national pride and racial
superiority.3

Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, in Austria-

Hungary and moved to Germany when he was
three. He had a very tense relationship with
his father because they were both stubborn
and strong-willed. "Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H1216-0500-002, Adolf
Hitler" by Das Bundesarchiv is licensed under
After high school, Hitler moved to Vienna, CC0.
where he worked odd jobs and lived in
homeless shelters. He applied to art school for painting twice but was rejected both times;
however, he was able to sell watercolor paintings of famous Vienna sights. At the time, Vienna
was full of religious prejudice4 and racism, which Hitler came to agree with.

1. Infamous (adjective) popularly known for having done horrible things

2. Ethnic (adjective) relating to a group of people with common national or cultural traditions
3. Superiority (noun) the belief that you are better than other people
4. Prejudice (noun) an unfair feeling of dislike for a person or group

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 World War I

Hitler moved to Munich, Germany, and enlisted in the German army when World War I started
in 1914. He worked mainly in administrative roles, but he did get wounded in 1917 and was
awarded for his bravery.

[5] He remembered the war as “the greatest of all experiences,” and it strengthened his German
patriotism.5 After the war, the leaders from many countries came together in France, to see
how they could prevent future wars from happening. The treaty that they finally came up with
blamed Germany for almost everything that happened and placed it under heavy economic
burdens as punishment; Hitler thought all of this was completely unfair.

Political Popularity

Hitler remained in the army, where he was assigned to monitor the activities of a new political
party, the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). However, he was intrigued by the
party’s nationalist6 and anti-Semitic7 views. He became a member of the NSDAP after only a
few months and started working for the party full time in 1920.

His political speeches in beer halls around Munich were powerful and stirring for his large
audiences. He captured the crowds’ spirit, blaming minority groups for economic troubles and
the loss of the war. He used mob psychology8 to whip the audience into a frenzy of patriotism.

In 1923, Hitler was arrested for attempting a political coup9 with the NSDAP. While he was in jail
for a year, he wrote his famous book Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”), which outlined his radical
political beliefs and his hopes for Germany’s future as a unified, single-race nation.

After he was released from jail he worked to restore the NSDAP as a strong political party. The
NSDAP, or Nazi party, enjoyed a broad base of support for its message. Hitler narrowly lost a
run for German president in 1932, but the loss worked in his favor. It meant he was available
when he was appointed Chancellor10 in 1933.

5. Patriotism (noun) devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country

6. Nationalist (noun) a person with a strong sense of loyalty or devotion to their country,
especially one who believes in the superiority of their country over others
7. Anti-Semitic (adjective) having hostility to or prejudice against Jews
8. theories that explain the ways in which people act and think differently in a crowd than
when they are alone
9. A coup takes place when there is a sudden and often violent take-over of government
power.
10. A Chancellor is a powerful government position designed to be relatively independent from

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[10] As Chancellor, Hitler used unethical and sometimes violent tactics to gain support within the
government and increase his own power. For example, he made a decree that gave himself the
power to make any law without the consent of the German congress. Other political parties
quickly fell apart. He was now, by default, a dictator.

World War II

Hitler admired powerful, nationalistic governments like Japan and Italy, and he made military
alliances with both countries in the late 1930s. His vision was to restore Germany to greater
economic and military power, to make Germany the most powerful nation in the world. He
thought white, blond Germans (“Aryans”) were genetically superior to anyone else, and so the
best way for Aryans to gain their rightful power was to kill anyone who looked different or who
thought differently. He especially hated Jews.

Once he had rebuilt Germany’s army, Hitler decided it was time to take back the land and
power that had been “stolen” from Germany after World War I. His invasion of several former
German territories led to the start of World War II. European countries such as England, France,
and the Soviet Union did not want such a cruel dictator gaining so much power, so they fought
back against Hitler and his allies, Italy and Japan. At first Hitler was an extremely successful
military leader. Germany’s territory expanded quickly.

However, Hitler is even more infamous for what he did on the “home front” during the war.
Since he hated minorities, especially Jews, and saw them as the enemy to Germany’s expansion,
he sent troops out all over the territory to kidnap Jews, Slavs,11 and other “undesirable” people.
They were brought to “concentration camps,” 12 where it was easy for the German army to kill
hundreds at a time. Hitler’s treatment of his own citizen prisoners included some of the most
horrible human rights violations in history. During the Holocaust, as it came to be known, Hitler
ordered the death of 6 million Jews; it was one of the deadliest genocides13 in history.

In 1942, the German army started to experience defeat. The United States brought immense
power against Germany when it entered the war in 1941. Hitler also made several important
tactical14 mistakes. Soon his army was spread too thin and running out of supplies. By 1945,
the German capital Berlin was surrounded by enemy troops, and total defeat was certain. Hitler

the political parties.

11. Slavs are groups of people in central and eastern Europe who speak Slavic languages, such
as Russian and Polish.
12. A concentration camp is a place where large numbers of prisoners are imprisoned to
provide forced labor or to await mass execution.
13. Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those from a
particular background or race.
14. relating to actions carefully planned to achieve a specific military end

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 died in an underground bunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945. Reports suggest he took his own life.
Two days later Germany surrendered, losing the war.

Legacy

[15] Adolf Hitler was one of the worst dictators in history. His unstoppable hunger for personal and
national power led to the destruction of huge parts of Europe during World War II. More
civilians15 were killed in World War II than in any other war. His intense racism and ability to win
the love of large crowds led to the horrific deaths of millions of Jews and ethnic minorities.

Today we can see the evil deeds Hitler committed as warnings for our own beliefs and political
leaders — Hitler has shown what can happen when we obsess about our own power and blame
others for the problems we face.

"Adolf Hitler" by Jessica McBirney. Copyright © 2017 by CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC
BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

15. Civilian (noun) a person not involved in the military or police force

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 Text-Dependent Questions
Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete
sentences.

1. PART A: Which of the following identifies the central idea regarding Hitler in the text?
A. Hitler gained a strong following during his dictatorship in Germany,
despite the cruelty he showed minority groups and his followers.
B. Hitler's obsession with power and racial cleansing has made him one of
history's most feared and remembered leaders.
C. Hitler's premature death has prevented people from completely
understanding the motivations behind his violent actions.
D. Hitler's difficult childhood is believed to have contributed to his violent
behavior and racist beliefs.

2. PART B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?
A. "After high school, Hitler moved to Vienna, where he worked odd jobs and
lived in homeless shelters. He applied to art school for painting twice but
was rejected both times" (Paragraph 3)
B. "He captured the crowds' spirit, blaming minority groups for economic
troubles and the loss of the war." (Paragraph 7)
C. "During the Holocaust, as it came to be known, Hitler ordered the death of
6 million Jews; it was one of the deadliest genocides in history." (Paragraph
13)
D. "By 1945, the German capital Berlin was surrounded by enemy troops, and
total defeat was certain. Hitler died in an underground bunker in Berlin on
April 30, 1945." (Paragraph 14)

3. Why did Hitler kill citizens of his own nation during WWII?
A. He wanted to prove how powerful he was.
B. He wanted to scare other nations, so they wouldn't interfere.
C. He wanted to eliminate people he found unworthy to live in Germany.
D. He wanted to prevent citizens from revealing his plans to other nations.

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4. How does the section "World War I" contribute to the main idea of the text
(Paragraphs 4-5)?
A. It shows how Germany's struggle after WWI contributed to people's
willingness to follow Hitler and seek revenge on other countries.
B. It emphasizes how Hitler was once a brave soldier before he became a
cruel dictator.
C. It shows how Germany was pushed to engage in WWII to win back the
respect of other nations.
D. It stresses how Hitler's brave participation in WWI is responsible for the
large following he gained.

5. How does the author support her claim that Hitler's legacy was "violent" (Paragraph
1)? Cite evidence from the text in your answer.

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 Discussion Questions
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be
prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.

1. In the context of the text, why do people do bad things? Why do you think citizens
accepted and supported Hitler's racist beliefs and treatment of others? Cite evidence
from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in your
answer.

2. In the context of the text, how does power corrupt? How did Hitler abuse his power
as a leader of Germany? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other
literature, art, or history in your answer.

3. In the context of the text, how do people become leaders? How was Hitler able to
gain the support of so many people? Cite evidence from this text, your own
experience, and other literature, art, or history in your answer.