Hitler decided he wanted to attend the Vienna Academy Of Fine Arts, and so sat the exam paper. Hitler was confident in his own ability and could only wait to be accepted, but when he was rejected he was badly shaken. He went back to the academy to get an explanation and was told his drawings showed a lack of talent for artistic painting, notably a lack of appreciation of the human form. He was told, however, that he had some ability for the field of architecture, which could have been looked at as a plus due to Hitler’s clear interest in this form of art. Hitler could have joined the academy’s architecture school if it wasn’t for his so poor performance in high school. He returned home to his dying mother without telling her that he had failed the exam. Adolf’s mother died on the 21st of December 1907 leaving Hitler grieving at his loss. Hitler returned to Vienna once again after the death of his mother still on pursuit of his dream to become an artist. He once again tried to gain access into the Vienna Academy Of Fine Arts, but his test drawings where so poor he wasn’t even allowed to sit the exam. Hitler soon became short on cash but still made no effort to gain employment to provide for himself. Soon after he found himself sleeping on park benches, and eating in charity based soup kitchens run by nuns. In December 1909 he moved into a homeless hostel. He moved out of the homeless shelter and into a poor men’s home. He gained low wages from working as a laborer shoveling snow and doing other odd jobs, until he realized that he could make money by selling some of his paintings of Vienna landmarks, and advertising boards. When Hitler got the chance he would read articles from the available newspapers he had concerning political matters. Hitler’s poor lifestyle ended up giving him a bad attitude of not caring for others, and a misunderstanding of kindness, an attitude which he would carry with him until his death.
After witnessing a large protest march by workers, he plunged himself into a study of the politics of the Social Democrats. He appreciated their ability to organize large rallies and use propaganda and fear as political weapons. Hitler continued to also build an interest in Anti-Semite, a process of going against the Jewish lifestyle. Hitler left Vienna at the age of 24 to escape required military service for the Austrian army. In 1913 Hitler settled down in the German capital of Munich but was later hunted down for escaping Austrian Military service. He wrote a letter of apology including information on his rough years as a youth living on the streets. Hitler’s heartfelt letter was accepted by the Austrian officials and he wasn’t punished, however he did need to take a medical exam which he failed and so the whole issue was dropped altogether leaving Hitler free of punishment. On the 1st of August 1914 a German declaration of war was announced in front of a large crowd, including Hitler. Hitler signed himself up for a German Army regiment and this began Hitler’s role in World War 1. Hitler volunteered for a Bavarian Regiment. In the first fight in which Hitler’s regiment fought, 2500 of the 3000 men in the regiment where either killed or injured as Hitler came out of the fighting without a scratch. Hitler was a runner taking messages back and forth from the men in command, to the fighting units on the battleground. During the whole of the war Hitler avoided injury. That was until a wound to the leg canceled him out of the war. He was then put on light work in Munich before requesting to go back to the front, and so he did. In October 1918 Hitler was blinded temporarily by a chlorine gas attack brought out by the British. He was taken to a hospital and there he would remain until he heard the news that the war was over and that Germany was now a republic. This enraged Hitler who then became deeply angry with the politicians in Germany, and mainly the Jews. Hitler, and many other people of Germany looked at the politicians who signed the Treaty Of Piece, later to be the Treaty Of Versailles, and named them the ‘November Criminals’
After the ending of the war Hitler remained in the army and became an undercover operator trying to flush out all influences of Marxists. He was sent to work undercover and look at the ‘German Workers' Party’ He went to the back of a Munich beer hall and listened to a talk on economics and how to eliminate capitalism. After listening he was about to leave when a man stood and talked against eliminating capitalism, this enraged Hitler who spoke out against the man for a full 15 minutes uninterrupted. Hitler went to leave until a member of the group approached him with a 40-page pamphlet on politics and urged Hitler to read it before inviting him to return to a meeting. The next day Hitler sat down and read the pamphlet and was happy to see that it involved the same thinking ways of himself about building a strong nationalist, pro-military, anti-Semitic party made up of working class people. Some days later Hitler received a postcard saying that he had been accepted to join the party and was asked to come to an executive committee meeting. He went and was welcomed as a new member to the party although he was unsure of whether he wanted to join the group or not. Hitler was unimpressed with the party however he was drawn to the fact that the party wanted to be turned into a movement, and in this Hitler saw an opportunity to lead it and take his first political step.
The main reason behind Hitler joining the Nazi party was that they had the same ideas and the same ambition as him as in how they wanted their country to be run, and how they didn’t want their country to be run. This group soon went on to be know as the ‘Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei’ Nazi for short. This group that started off with a mere 7 members, turned itself into such a big group that by the end of the 1920’s it had 3000 members. With his great talent of speaking out loud in front of crowds of many thousands, Hitler soon became leader of the Nazi party. Hitler left to travel round Germany to spread the movement but whilst he was gone a small group of his own people started a revolt. Because of this, when he returned he resigned form his position. With the people of Germany knowing how influencial he is to the country, they wanted him back. He said he would return only as the chairman, and if he was given dictatorial powers. So he returned after an election where he received all but one vote in his favour.
In 1923, Germany, which was in the middle of a chaotic time involving hyperinflation, and the government accepting to pay reparations to France which angered the German people. The government and country was left wide open for a National Revolution, the door was wide open and all and somebody knew all they had to door was put there foot in. That man was Hitler. Hitler gathered troops and burst into a Munich Beer Hall which contained the three highest officials of the Bavarian. This was called ‘The Munich Putsch’ Hitler stormed the beer hall with SA troops and ordered the highest officials into a back room of the beer hall. These three men were: State Commissioner Kahr, along with the head of the state police, Colonel Hans von Seisser, and commander of the German Army in Bavaria, General Otto von Lossow. The officials did as they were told and moved into the room. Hitler followed and told them that they were to join in and join the Nazi group and show their support for it. The three men didn’t even say a word, Hitler even threatened them with a gun but still they would not talk. General Ludendorff then arrived, and Hitler, knowing that the three men would actually listen to Ludendorff, sent him in, and as he thought, the three men listened and then went out onto the podium and showed their support for the Nazi’s. Hitler then went out and spoke to the crowd. When he had finished he gained a huge pop from the crowd as they sang “Deutschland über Alles” This was a night of triumph for Hitler, and he knew that maybe the next day he may be the new leader of Germany. Hitler received word that several barracks could not be overhawled as German soldiers where holding out. Hitler left the beer hall and descided to sort out the problem personally. During Hitler’s absence the three officials escaped the beer hall by falsely promising Ludendorff that they would stay loyal to Hitler. Hitler returns and to his shock he noticed that his Revolution was collapsing right in front of his own eyes. After this failed Ludendorff had another idea. The 2 men, 3000 Nazi’s and a young Nazi party member names Heinrich Himmler who was holding a flag, marched into the center of Munich before walking towards the war ministry building. The Nazi’s came face to face with a police blockade of around 100. Hitler shouted for them to surrender but then a gun fight began. Hitler got a dislocated shoulder during the rough and tumble as a man who he had locked arms with was shot and took Hitler down with him. Hitler’s bodyguard jumped onto Hitler and took several bullets which saved Hitler’s life. Hitler crawled out of the line of fire and into a waiting car before taking off and hiding at his friends for 2 days. On the third he was arrested and told he was going to have a public trial.
Hitler stood on trial for treason in a trial he had total advantage in. Hitler had the right to use the courtroom as a propaganda platform from which he could speak at any length on his own behalf, interrupt others at any time and even cross examine witnesses. Hitler admitted everything, however, put himself over as a German patriot wanting to take over Germany to do the right thing and not give in against the Treaty Of Versailles. Hitler accused the German politicians of being the guilty party because they where the people who stabbed the whole of Germany in the back by ending World War 1 and signing the Treaty Of Versailles. Hitlers tactics did and didn’t work at the same time. He was found guilty however, where he could have had life imprisonment for what he did, he only got a 5 year sentence and was eligible for parole in 6 months.
