How bad was Hitler?

Essay by RerelgirlHigh School, 10th grade March 2003

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On April 20th, 1889, a boy was born in Braunau, Austria. His name was Adolf Hitler (Housden, p.199). During World War II, he was the dictator of Germany. Under his power and control, he turned his country into the most brutal place in the world. Millions of people were killed and the whole nation was ruined. Many people believe that Hitler was the greatest revolutionary because he spread death as no person has ever done in modern history. Therefore, Hitler is perceived as the most evil leader of the 20th Century.

Aside from his disparagement of Jews, he also disdained all the other people except the "Aryans". The Aryan race, as Hitler defined, were Caucasians of German descent and the noblest race that ever existed on earth (Cruxton & Wilson, p.216). Everyone else was supposedly inhuman. His racial prejudice expanded to the inclusion of blacks, gypsies, homosexuals, handicapped people, and the mentally disabled.

To make himself and his followers feel superior, he sent them to the ghettos where they were badly abused and malnourished. Many of the victims were beaten, harassed, and ended up starving to death. In Hitler's ideology, the inferior races bring evil into society (Housden, p.33). By extirpating people he considered harmful, the society would become a better one. Hitler also strongly believed that the Aryan race must be kept "pure". They must therefore secure the rights of the "perfect citizens" and ensure that "cross-breeding" becomes strictly forbidden (Housden, p.27). In reality, the man who accused the evils of society was actually causing the evil himself.

Another major reason that made Hitler so despicable was his use of power. He took advantage of his authority and made himself a dictator. Through his own unique way of leadership, he managed to stimulate his followers to abide all...