Why was Adolf Hitler the way he was?

Question:

Why was Adolf Hitler the way he was?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There are so many interpretations of how and why Hitler came to be the person that he was but most of the time, it is generally accepted that he was just the outcome of such a turbulent time in history and society.

His childhood had something to do with the formation of his personality; his father was a strict civil servant while his mother was an affectionate but ultimately weak young woman who died when Hitler was still very young and probably this affected his mind psychologically.

Also, the loss of his parents amongst other things led to the formation of what was essentially a very angry and frustrated young man. Rejection was a key factor in his early life, he was a struggling art student living in Vienna where many rejected him as a poor artist with very little talent. Vienna had a large Jewish population and possibly as a result of envy and mingled social attitudes adopted from his family or his countrymen, Hitler became anti-Semitic, leading to his terrifying ambition of assembling a 'pure' Aryan race.

The events of WWI and the subsequent defeat of Germany led to chaos and discontent in Germany; unemployment was rising, money was made worthless due to hyperinflation and the country was humiliated at the Treaty of Versailles which basically tore Germany to pieces economically due to the high amount of war debts it had to pay for its role in the war. This sense of anger and frustration easily set the stage for Hitler's road to power. By 1933, with the help of the Great Depression in America, the weakness of the German government and the chaos inflicted by the Treaty of Versailles and his own political skill, Hitler was made Chancellor and dictator of Germany - leading to the most terrifying events that have ever taken place in modern history.