Adolf Hitler Hitler's Influence on

¶ … Adolf Hitler [...] Hitler's influence on World War II. Adolf Hitler was one of the world's most notorious leaders, and he was the direct cause of World War II. Hitler was born in Austria but rose to power in Germany in the early 1930s. He became the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP), which became known around the world as the Nazi Party. He ruled Germany from 1933 to 1945, serving as chancellor from 1933 to 1945 and as head of state (Fuhrer und Reichskanzler) from 1934 to 1945 (Editors, 2009).

Hitler led the German people directly into war in 1939, and he was responsible for the extermination of millions of Jews throughout Europe through his concentration camps. Adolf Hitler was a fascist dictator who tried to take over the world and failed miserably. Hitler first came to power in Germany when he became the leader of the Nazi Party in 1921. He attempted to take over the country in 1923 with a coup but failed, and he spent some time in jail as a result.

In jail, he wrote "Mein Kampf" (which means "My Struggle," which is an account of his beliefs on nationalism and leadership. He became a celebrity with the German people and easily rose to chancellor, where he enacted sweeping changes. He quickly took over the government and established himself as a fascist dictator head of state, a position he held until shortly before the war ended in 1945. Hitler believed in seizing "living space" for the German people to add territory to his country and give him more control in Europe.

This explains Hitler's decision to attack Poland, even though he knew that France and Great Britain had promised to protect Poland if there was a threat to the country. He knew that he would have to take on the world powers, and he chose to do it anyway. One historian notes that Hitler was almost obsessed with gaining power. He says, "Albert Speer later recalled that in the autumn of 1939 Hitler was haunted by the idea that he might miss a crucial strategic opportunity.

He had to strike sooner rather than later because he knew that the military advantage that Germany currently enjoyed over its enemies was fleeting" (Tooze, 2006). Hitler was determined to bring war to Europe, and he had been building up his defense systems for years before the Polish attack. Hitler wanted to invade Russia to help gain new territory, and he planned on exterminating the native peoples in the area and moving in German citizens once areas were conquered (Weinburg, 1996, p. 154). Another writer notes, "War, then, was essential.

It was essential to Hitler the man as well as essential to Hitler's dream of a new Germany. In the end, most historians have reached the consensus that World War Two was Hitler's war" (Kreis, 2004). However, while Hitler was ultimately responsible for the war, western leaders did not take him seriously and because of this, they could be seen as at least partially responsible for the war. Hitler did not take over his country overnight. From 1933 until 1939, he spread propaganda around Europe that served his own needs.

He convinced just about all Europeans that Germany was the only thing that could save them from the growing threat of Soviet Russia, and he rallied thousands of Germans in support of his policies, as well. Propaganda was a large portion of his success. He even wrote about his feelings about propaganda in "Mein Kampf." Two other historians quote his words, "The whole art [of propaganda] consists in doing this so skillfully that everyone will be convinced that the fact is real, the process necessary, the necessity correct, etc.

The masses are slow moving, and they always require a certain time before they are ready to even notice a thing" (Murphy & White, 2007). This illustrates his feelings about the people he led, and about "the masses" of residents of countries he was about to attempt to conquer. As dictator, he could rule just about as he pleased, and he built up German defenses during this time by declaring Germany would no longer follow the provisions of the Versailles Treaty.

The Treaty was the agreement in Europe after World War I. It stipulated that Germany could not produce military machinery, so by ignoring it, Hitler created a massive invasion force by the time he was ready to invade Poland, and Britain and France essentially ignored the process, allowing it to continue (Kreis, 2004). Hitler's real aim was not to conquer France and England, he wanted Russia.

He refused any alliances that Russia offered before the war, and he thought when France surrendered, England would soon follow and that he could concentrate all his manpower and focus on Russia (Weinberg, 1996, p. 158-160). The war really began in March 1938, when Hitler forced Austria to join Germany, and then he went after the German-speaking areas of Czechoslovakia. Historian Kreis continues, "The area also contained key industries and was vital to the protection of Czechoslovakia. Without this area heavily fortified Czechoslovakia could not hope to withstand German aggression.

Sudentenland Germans, encouraged by the Nazis, began to denounce the Czech government" Kreis, 2004). In March 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, replaced Czech troops with German troops, and took over the country. His next goal was Poland. France and Great Britain admonished Hitler, but did little else. Historian Kreis continues, "While Chamberlain returned to England with a piece of paper in his hand, Hitler was laughing. What Britain and France had shown was their own weakness and this weakness increased Hitler's appetite for even more territory" (Kreis, 2004).

Poland's fate would be the official start of World War II. On September 1, 1939, German troops entered Poland. Late in August 1939, right before the Polish invasion, Hitler even signed a non-aggression pact with Russia, all the while knowing that his ultimate goal was to take over the country. Historian Kreis notes, "Britain and France demanded that Hitler stop his forces but Hitler ignored them and so Britain and France declared war on Germany. Using the Blitzkrieg or lightening war, Poland succumbed to Germany on September 27, 1939" (Kreis, 2004).

At first, fighting was on the western front of the war, mainly against France and Great Britain. America supported the allies, but did not join in the European war; instead they attempted to negotiate a solution. By April 1940, Hitler's strategy had changed, and he attacked Norway and Denmark on the Northern European coast, because he knew he needed shipping and naval bases in the area. By June, France had surrendered, and in August, Hitler attempted to beat down Great.