Adolf Hitler's Milestones
Birth
Adolf Hitler was born in Braunau am Inn, Austria-Hungary, to Alois Hitler and Klara Pölzl.
Family moved to Passau
Family moved to Passau, Germany, and later to Leonding near Linz.
Father died
Hitler's father, Alois, died in Leonding, Austria.
Rejected by Academy of Fine Arts Vienna
Twice rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, ending his hopes of becoming an artist.
Mother died
His mother, Klara, died of breast cancer; Hitler was deeply affected.
Lived in Vienna
Lived in poverty in Vienna, developing anti-Semitic and nationalist views.
Moved to Munich
Moved to Munich, Germany, to avoid Austrian military service.
World War I service
Served as a soldier in the Bavarian Army during World War I, wounded, awarded the Iron Cross, and promoted to corporal.
Hospitalized for gas attack
Hospitalized after being blinded in a gas attack near the end of WWI.
Joined German Workers' Party
Joined the German Workers' Party, which later became the National Socialist German Workers' Party (Nazi Party).
Became party leader
Became chairman of the Nazi Party, gaining control over its direction.
Beer Hall Putsch
Led the failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, resulting in his imprisonment.
Wrote 'Mein Kampf'
Wrote 'Mein Kampf' during his imprisonment, outlining his ideology and future plans for Germany.
Rebuilding the Nazi Party
Rebuilt the Nazi Party, using propaganda and mass rallies to gain support.
Presidential campaign
Ran for President of Germany, losing to Paul von Hindenburg but increasing his national profile.
Appointed Chancellor
Appointed Chancellor of Germany, marking the start of Nazi rule.
Reichstag Fire and Enabling Act
Used the Reichstag Fire as a pretext to pass the Enabling Act, granting dictatorial powers.
Night of the Long Knives
Ordered the purge of SA leadership and political opponents, consolidating power.
President of Germany
Became Führer (leader) of Germany after Hindenburg's death, merging the offices of president and chancellor.
Nuremberg Laws enacted
Enacted the Nuremberg Laws, institutionalizing anti-Semitic and racist policies.
Remilitarization of the Rhineland
Ordered German troops into the demilitarized Rhineland, violating the Treaty of Versailles.
Annexation of Austria (Anschluss)
Annexed Austria into Nazi Germany in the Anschluss.
Munich Agreement and Sudetenland
Secured the Munich Agreement, annexing the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia.
Kristallnacht
Orchestrated Kristallnacht, a violent anti-Jewish pogrom throughout Nazi Germany.
World War II begins
Ordered the invasion of Poland, starting World War II.
Invasion of France and Low Countries
Ordered invasions of France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
Battle of Britain
Launched the Battle of Britain, the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces.
Operation Barbarossa
Launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.
Holocaust
Orchestrated the Holocaust, resulting in the genocide of six million Jews and millions of others.
Stalingrad defeat
Suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Stalingrad, marking a turning point in WWII.
D-Day and Allied advances
Faced Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advances into Germany.
Death
Adolf Hitler died by suicide in his bunker in Berlin as Allied forces closed in on the city.
Germany surrenders
Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies, ending WWII in Europe.
Legacy and denazification
Hitler's legacy is one of genocide, war, and totalitarianism; Germany underwent denazification and remembrance efforts.