Hitler stayed in Vienna until 1913 and whilst there he spent his time unemployed living on an orphans pension, and later from small earnings from pictures he drew.
Soon he found himself avoiding Military Service by crossing the border to Bavaria. Soon after the First World War broke out and Hitler volunteered for service in the Bavarian army. He fought hard and was a courageous and dedicated soldier but was never promoted past Private first class because his superiors thought he lacked leadership qualities. However for his bravery he was awarded the Iron cross, the only medal he ever wore. He fought most of the war in the trenches but was invalided out after a gas attack went wrong.
After the war he was again unemployed and in September 1919 he joined the German National Socialist Party, an extremist party that was neither left wing nor right wing. Hitler was not the founder; he was actually member number seven. The founders were Anton Drexter and the two brothers Otto and Gregor Stresser, they wanted a party for the workers.
Hitler soon emerged as a leader, his charisma and ability to whip up a crowd meant that he was elected party chairman (Fuhrer) in 1921 and given dictatorial powers. The now Nazi party had it’s own group of ex army thugs called the S.A., Stormtroopers or Brown shirts. Their leaders were Ernest Rohn and Goering (who had a lot of connections especially as he was an air ace with the Red Barron)
In November 1923, a time of political and economic chaos Hitler led an uprising known as the Munich Beerhall Putsch. The Nazi’s were still quite small but managed to take over the Southern State of Bavaria. Hitler proclaimed himself Chancellor of a new authoritarian regime, however without military support the Putch collapsed.
