Hitler sang in the local church choir. His favorite games were, "Cops and Robbers," and "Cowboys and Indians." He enjoyed reading novels of the American West. His favorite author was Karl May.
Hitler didn't do well in school and left before he graduated. He dreamed of becoming a famous artist. His father, who was a strict disciplinarian, died when he was thirteen. Klara raised the children as a single mother.
Hitler couldn't stand anyone to disagree with him. He often had bouts of hysterical anger. This was a personality trait that surfaced when he was quite young.
Hitler loved his mother deeply. The two were very close. When Klara died of cancer when he was nineteen, he was devastated. He carried her picture with him his entire life. Otherwise, he was very secretive about his background. He'd have nothing to do with other relatives and seldom saw his sister.
Hitler moved to Vienna, Austria, in 1909. He applied to the Academy of Arts. His application was rejected. He began living on the streets and eating at soup kitchens. He spent his time reading anti-Semitic pamphlets and tabloids. He took odd jobs and sold his paintings to earn a little money.
Hitler never established any long-lasting relationships. He lived in a fantasy world to escape his failures. He loathed Vienna for Semitism and he hated Jews.
In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich, Germany. In 1914, he joined the German Army. His fellow soldiers thought he was odd. He served in World War I and received two medals for bravery. When the war was over, he was temporarily blind.
The Versailles Treaty forced Germany to disarm and took much of its territory. The country was ordered to pay huge sums of money to other countries in Europe, which it had invaded. Germany was virtually bankrupt.
The National Socialist German Worker's Party (NAZIS) wanted all Germans to unite and form a great nation. Hitler joined the Nazis in 1920. He had a great ability for speaking and was voted leader of the Nazi party. He built up its membership quickly.
On October 30, 1923, Hitler announced that he wanted to march on Berlin and rid the government of Jews and Communists. On November 8, he declared a revolution. On November 9, he led his "brown shirts," and tried to overtake the Bavarian government. The revolution was stopped by the police. A dozen men were killed. Hitler was arrested and charged with treason. His sentence was five years. He served only nine months.
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