The tourist trade in Muich was booming. Being the intellectual centre of Bavaria, Munich had one of the best libraries and universities, and was fairly peppered with museums, art shops, sculptures and such heady stuff that quickened Adolf's heart. Munich was also a hot-bed of political intrigue. Lenin lived there. So did Oswald Spengler and Thomas Mann - and now - Adolf Hitler.

Adolf's new landlady, Mrs Popp, found that her new "Austrian charmer" was reserved and forever painting or had "his nose buried in heavy books". Success as a painter was now his. All of his paintings sold, and he earned good prices for them. Rapidly he reached the stage where he could live comfortably off his earnings from painting. He had now passed the emotional hurdle where he had been denied entrance to the Art Academy in Vienna and had proved himself by success. Mrs Popp found Adolf was polite and helpful, not beneath beating carpets or bringing in the coal.

When speaking on matters cultural or political, Adolf was listened to. His broad vocabulary, calm manner and breadth of knowledge earned their respect. Here he learned to understand the political undercurrents of all the classes in society. Marxists had already become his enemy, and he often tackled them in debate.

Art as a form of radicalism was alien to Adolf. The new wierdos with their "deplorable smears" offended him and he avoided their cult. They were "symptoms of a slowly rotting world". He later referred to this as "Decadent Art".

Communist leader:
real name:Vladimir Ulyanov,
underground name:Meyer
underground name:Lenin
Lived near Hitler in Munich

Adolf referred to Lenin's politics as:
"a whore covered with a mask of social virtue and brotherly love."

ASSASINATION OF THE AUSTRIAN ROYAL HEIR AND WIFE
Shot by student in Bosnian capital
Monday June 29, 1914

The Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria, nephew of the aged Emperor and heir to the throne, was assassinated in the streets of Sarayevo, the Bosnian capital, yesterday afternoon. His wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, was killed by the same assassin. Some reports say the Duchess was deliberately shielding her husband from the second shot when she was killed. One victim was struck in the body and the other in the face; the telegrams are contradictory about which wound the Archduke suffered and which his wife. Two attempts were made on the Archduke's life during the day. He was in Bosnia inspecting the manoeuvres of the Austrian Army Corps stationed in the province, and had devoted yesterday to a procession through the capital. During the morning a bomb was thrown at the Imperial motor-car, but its occupants escaped unhurt. In the afternoon in another part of the town a Serb student fired a revolver at the car, killing both the Archduke and the Duchess....

Manchester Guardian, 29/06/14

Then Adolf was called up for military service. He duly reported, but was found unfit to serve due to poor health. He still suffered from "bronchial catarrh".

On 20 April 1914, Adolf turned 25 years old. One month later Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was shot and killed in Sarajevo. Russian troops mobilized on the border. France allied herself with Russia. Germany and Austria prepared for battle. In Munich, Adolf joined the crowd that heard the declaration of war at the hall of the Field Marshalls. An air of optimism and euphoria swept over the land as 4,500,000 more men were quickly mobilized. Adolf applied for special permission to join the army and fight for his motherland. Britain, sensing a golden opportunity to destroy her largest trading rival, sided with France and declared war on Germany and Austria. The machinery of the bloodiest war in history slowly began turning.

The task of a runner in the German army was to deliver messages. Often this meant delivery to the frontline where life was short and cheap. By now Adolf was adept at speaking with authority on most subjects, and most of his comrades accepted his opinions - most of the time at least - except when he lectured them about the dangers of smoking and drinking.

Adolf Hitler in crowd - hearing declaration of war

Arch of Triumph in Berlin, Watercolor, 1913

As a soldier Adolf was exemplary. When a comrade was ill, Adolf would volunteer to deliver their messages. He seemed to lead a charmed life. Comrades died like flies, but Adolf always escaped without a scratch. His regiment, which comprised 3,600 men ar the outset of the war, suffered 3,754 killed by the end of the war. At first this figure seems implausible, until one realizes that the dead had to be replaced, and many of the replacements also died.

Between assignments Adolf painted and read books, and taught his new dog to do tricks. The white terrier had appeared out of nowhere, chasing a rat into a trench, where Adolf caught the dog. Surely it must be a British Dog, he said. "It didn't understand a word of German".

The number of times that Adolf escaped death was legendary amongst his comrades. One a group of four officers came to the dugout where he was stationed, and he had to move out of the safe enclave and wait out in the open until the officers had left. Moments later an enemy shell hit the dugout, killing or wounding everyone in it.

In another incident Adolf was eating dinner when an inner voice suddenly urged him to move away. The feeling was so strong that he took his food and moved further up the trench to continue his meal. A stray enemy shell burst over the spot where he had been sitting, killing his comrades still there. He had a conviction that fate was watching over him. He was destined for greater things.

After three years of this his luck ran out when he received a minor face injury from a flying shell fragment, and then on 7 October 1916 he suffered a serious injury to his left thigh. He was evacuated to a military hospital near Berlin. While recuperating Adolf was distressed to note the attitude of discontent and defeatism among the civilian population. By March he had recuperated sufficiently and volunteered to re-join his old unit at the front. The attitude of defeatism had now spread to the soldiery, particularly the new recruits, and Adolf lectured them on the evil of their ways.

While trench warfare continued, both sides attempted to achieve air superiority, and air battles could often be seen from the ground. Adolf spoke highly of the courage of the air men, and conceded the bravery of enemy fliers also. He personally attended funerals of dead enemy flyers, which were given with full military honors. German propaganda portrayed the enemy fliers as cowards, and Adolf had seen bravery from both sides. The propaganda lies deeply disturbed him.

The war of attrition had ground to a stalemate by 1916. Then America entered the war on the side of the Allies in 1917.

Germans suffered fewer losses than the Allies, at a rate of 2 to 3. But the Allies knew that between the British, French and Russians they had 35 million soldiers, while Germany had half as many. So the Allies believed they could "bleed the Germans White". The real result of this was to exterminate the finest blood the White race possessed. Clearly modern miltary commanders had learned nothing from the history of ancient Sparta, where slaves took control and civilization collapsed because the Spartans had decimated their numbers in regional wars.

War does not determine
who is right - only who is left
- Bertrand Russel

The war had become a death trap. Moving to the front meant replacing those who had just perished. Adolf was always at the front. He saw thousands of men come, and die, and their replacements come, and die. Bombarments continued 24 hours a day and soldiers were living zombies. Gas attacks were frequent and soldiers wore gas masks 24 hours a day. No mortals could endure life at the front for long. Madness also took its toll.

Adolf knew the soldiery were held in contempt by much of the senior officer corps. He blamed their foolishness and lack of respect for a soldier's life for most of the deaths. although popular with the troops and earning the respect of officers with whom he communicated, his manner was considered "unmilitary". He rose to the rank of corporal, but never requested promotion. His reputation as reliable dispatch runner in the face of heavy enemy fire made him indispensable to his unit, and promotion would have spoiled this situation, and Adolf remained a corporal, not a common soldier, and yet not an officer, but constantly moving between the two and learning from both. He would analyse the military situation from the point of view of the commanders.

Adolf wrote after the war:

"In 1917 the military authorities refused to make available the men required for the manufacture of tanks. In this the High Command committed a fatal error...for the decisive factor in any war is the possession of the technically superior weapons....The fact that there was no recognition of our side of the need for tanks, or at least for an anti-tank defense, is the explanation of our defeat"

"An enemy patrol is captured
by Corporal Hitler" 1915

A sketch drawn by Adolf
and sent home in a letter.

Back in civilian life Marxists were agitating for an end to the war. But Russia was faring badly against the Germans, and negotiated a separate peace, after Lenin had usurped power. The other Allies were furious, and refused negotiations. Germany could then concentrate on the western front. But the aging military leaders had still not recognised the effectiveness of the tank as a vital weapon.

Once while Adolf was en route with a message to be delivered, he spotted a French helmet in a trench. He carefully slid closer and spotted four French soldiers. Acting with bravado, pretending he had a squad of men with him, he commanded the French to surrender. He led his prisoners back to German lines and delivered them to Colonel Anton Freiherr von Tubeuf. The Colonel later said of Adolf that he:

"never let us down and was particularly suited to the kind of task that could not be entrusted to other runners".

Adolf's esteem amongst his comrades soared higher than ever. For a dispatch runner to arrest enemy soldiers was unheard of. Germany drove deep into French territory. Within sight of the Eiffel tower they suddenly faced hundreds of thousands of fresh American troops who had just arrived. For the first time it appeared that Germany might lose the war. Adolf found the commander of number 9 company severely wounded and alone. He dragged the commander to safety.

By August 1917 Adolf had already earned 4 medals, including the Iron Cross 2nd class. He was now awarded a further two medals: The Military Service medal, 3rd class, and the Iron Cross, 1st class, for "Personal bravery and general merit".
The recommendation for this last medal read as follows:

"As a runner his coolness and dash in both trench and open warfare have been exemplary, and invariably he has shown himself ready to volunteer for tasks in the most difficult situations and at great danger to himself. Whenever communications have been totally disrupted at a critical moment in a battle, it has been thanks to Hitler's unflagging and devoted efforts that important messages continued to get through despite every difficulty." - Recommendation for the highest medal award for Adolf hitler.

The Iron Cross, 1st class was normally reserved for officers. For Adolf this was exceptional recognition indeed.

Iron Cross 1st Class
The highest medal
awarded to Adolf Hitler

Iron Cross 1st Class - awarded for acts of heroism, bravery or leadership skills
Worn on the left breast, sewn or pinned on

It was common for recipients of the Iron Cross to wear a matching ring.

United States WW-1 nurser with full gas protection suit

US soldiers prepared for gas attack

But new recruits brought defeatism in from the general population who were suffering from hunger and other privations brought about by the British naval blockade. Demoralized men with inferior weapons facing over a million well equipped American troops. Bulgaria withdrew from the war and the German lines collapsed. Adolf was injured in an attack by a new form of British mustard gas. Adolf later wrote:

In the night of October 13, the English gas attack on the southern front before Ypres burst loose; they used yellow-cross gas, whose effects were still unknown to us as far as personal experience was concerned. In this night I myself was to become acquainted with it. On a hill south of Werwick, we came on the evening of October 13 into several hours of drumfire with gas shells which continued all night more or less violently. As early as midnight, a number of us passed out, a few of our comrades forever. Toward morning I, too, was seized with pain which grew worse with every quarter hour, and at seven in the morning I stumbled and tottered back with burning eyes; taking with me my last report of the War.

Back in military hospital, Adolf lay for weeks with bandages over his eyes, fearful that his sight might never return.

Germany surrendered. The Allies demanded that Germany change their form of government. William II was forced to accept a British type parliamentary system. Germany was forced to accept harsh terms. They accepted. Germany was by now in chaos. But after calling off the German submarines and relinquishing control, the Allies unilaterally changed the conditions. The German monarchy was to be destroyed. Other conditions imposed were so harsh that a future war was virtually guaranteed.

Reigning chaos in Germany was met by well funded Communist activity. Civil war threated in the German heartland, and Germany was forced to meekly accept every Allied demand, in order to have anything worthwhile left to save back home.

The demand that Germany become a republic suited the Marxist factions very well, as only they now had plentiful means to organise for elections, intimidation or violent coup. The Allies would not interfere. Russia was on their side.

Jewish father of Communism, Karl Marx "The first step in the revolution of the working class ... is to win the battle for democracy."

Large numbers of Jews were active in Marxist organizations. Marxist leadership was mostly Jewish, in Russia, Austria and in Germany. The historian Joachim Fest has stated:

"It is characteristic of a minority outcast for generations that it will incline toward rebellion and dreaming of utopias. Thus Jewish intellectuals had indeed flung themselves into the socialist movement and became its leaders"

Jews had hoisted the red flag over the hospital where Adolf was recuperating. His sight was improving but he still could not read. Adolf recognised the dominant Jewish leadership and spoke out against their activities.

Excerpt from "Stalin’s War Against the Jews" (1990 - Free Press)
by Israeli historian Louis Rapoport

"Many Jews were euphoric over their high representation in the new government. Lenin’s first Politburo was dominated by men of Jewish origins…

Under Lenin, Jews became involved in all aspects of the Revolution, including its dirtiest work. Despite the Communists’ vows to eradicate anti-Semitism, it spread rapidly after the revolution - partly because of the prominence of so many Jews in the Soviet administration, as well as in the traumatic, inhuman Sovietization drives that followed. Historian Salo Baron has noted that an immensely disproportionate number of Jews joined the new Soviet secret police, the Cheka…. And many of those who fell afoul of the Cheka would be shot by Jewish investigators."

Jewish revolutionary leaders, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg

While Germany was complying with the conditions of their surrender (delivering 5,000 locomotives, 150,000 rail cars etc) the Allies kept up their blockade and Germany starved. The peace treaty would not be signed until Germany had fully complied. Meanwhile German troops return home to find that in many areas the Marxists had assumed military control. The Allies ignored the blooming Red Revolution. Many well funded (mainly Jewish) Russian organizers had infiltrated Germany and were hard at work creating the next glorious Marxist revolution.

Adolf and the other returned soldiers were forced to wear the red arm emblem of the Marxist revolutionaries.

Fredrich Ebert was having success at assembling a moderate government to stand for elections, and the Marxists realized their revolution would have to accelerate, since they would not win at the polls. In Berlin the Jews Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg had amassed 100,000 supporters, two thousand machine guns and 30 artillery pieces. They invaded Berlin, took over most of the government buildings and declared the Ebery government overthrown by their glorious Communist revolution.

Britain, France and the US made no protest at this Russian invasion of Germany.
Russia was, after all, their ally in the war.

But on 10 January, Noske, and 30,000 ex-soldier volunteers swarmed into Berlin. These were highly disciplined men used to carnage and slaughter on the front. They brutally broke through and decimated the 200,000 defenders, though vastly out-manned and with less equipment. The leaders of the red revolution were shot or bayonetted. The glorious Communist revolution in Berlin did not last a week.

Adolf learned that the Russian revolution was likewise instigated and led by Jews. Karl Marx himself was a Jew. Jews throughout Germany flocked to the red banner and took most leading positions. The Jewish "problem" became crystal clear to Adolf. Many Jewish individuals, such as his mother's doctor, were fine people, but Jewry as a whole was poison to Germany. Jews themselves had shaped a new insight in Adolf's mind.

In the election that followed, Communists only won 7.6% of the vote. Yet they had come within a hairs breadth of taking the country. In Russia Communists had a similar minority, but had won. In the next 60 years Communism would murder over 120,000,000 people in peacetime, more deaths than occurred in all the wars of the world combined during that period.

Jewish revolutionary leader, Bela Kun. His short reign was particularly brutal

His comrade in Russia, the Jew Lazar Kagakovitch, orchestrated the murder of 35 million people..

After the election, Communists groups rose througoutht Germany again, egged on and lavishly funded from Russia. Red revolution groups took over Dresden, Saxony, Berlin and other cities. Once again the volunteer army, now called the "Free Corps", was called upon to save Berlin. It took a week of heavy fighting.

Then the Hungarian goverment was ousted by the Jew Bela Kun, who called for all European states to join in his revolution. Reds in Germany once again took heart. In Bavaria the newly elected government was ousted by Jewish-led Communists. Most were not even Bavarian. A volunteer army was assembled, and was soundly defeated by the Reds. Adolf noted that the new head of government of Bavaria was Jewish, and the victorious army commander was also Jewish.

The ousted Bavarian government asked Germany for help. Germany had nothing to spare except the 20,000 Free Corps who had with difficulty managed to save Berlin. The red army took hostages - and shot them - and the Free Corps was particularly brutal in restoring order in Bavaria. The red army appealed to the regular army to assist them. This included Adolf's barracks. There a debate ensued. Adolf waited until last to speak.

"Those who say we should remain neutral are right. After all, we're no pack of Revolutionary Guards for a gang of vagrant Jews."

He persuaded his barracks not to support the Communist government.

The Free Corps re-took Munich, and were angered that Russian soldiers that they had defeated recently were now armed and active against them yet again. After the city had been taken, the Free Corps marched through the town with swastika emblems on their helmets. Cheering crowds lined the roads to thank their liberators. Communists were hunted down and killed, except for one leader who had acted to stop executions. He was tried and given a five year prison sentence. Some soldiers from Adolf's barracks fired on the Free Corps as they entered Munich. The barracks was stormed and everyone, including Adolf was arrested and imprisoned at a local high school. There he cooperated with the Free Corps totally, identifying every soldier that was a red sympathiser, and witnessing against them in the subsequent court case. This taught him much about the legal system, as many he identified got away scot-free. He later complained:

"I had no idea that a [lawyer] is a private individual who makes his living by defending scoundrels"

At least ten Reds were executed based on Adolf's testimony. Naturally senior officers took note of his brave stance, since other witnesses had been murdered, and Adolf never wavered in his resolution. He was invited to attend a military course in propaganda. Marxists had been tirelessly, often forcefully re-educating the masses, particularly the new army recruits who were inexperienced and vulnerable to Communist doctrine. The government had to act to counter this, and the propaganda course was a step in that direction.

Adolf Hitler in his WW-1 regimental dress.

Adolf Hitler
Self Portrait

At the course, Adolf soon stood out among the crowd. His professor identified him as a "natural born speaker".

One student deplored the negative version of the Jews that had been described by the lecturer. Adolf requested that he be permitted to speak. That was his first "anti-semitic" speech. For Adolf, closely following the newspapers all the years, it was easy to point out the Jewish dominance in Russia, as well as in every single other place Marxism had attempted to gain a foothold. He swayed his audience with passion - and facts. Adolf won the hearts of his audience, and drew attention to his debating skills.

In the newspapers what Adolf said was verified. The Times on March 29, 1919 reported that

of the "leaders who provide the central machinery of the Bolshevist movement, not less than 75 per cent are Jews."

Winston Churchill spoke out against Lenin, Trotsky "and the sinister gang of Jewish anarchists around them"

Churchill also declared Jews to be: "a most formidable sect, the most formidable sect in the world"

Anti-Jewish sentiment ran high. Many people had died by Jewish instigation, and Jews in Russia continued funding the various revolutions in Europe, ably assisted by local Jews to took leadership positions. Ignoring the Jewish threat was impossible. Adolf exposed the Jewish complicity in every speech. He never spoke against decent Jewish individuals, but the overall Jewish culture, which should be expelled, perhaps to Palestine.

The first German delegation refused to sign the Versailles treaty. The Allies ignored the terms under which Germany had surrendered and imposed a plethora of staggering punishments that would crush Germany in perpetuity. President Herbert Hoover of the United States described the Versailles treaty as one of "hate and revenge".

A second German delegation was sent to sign, and were promised that German populations in disputed areas would be permitted by plebiscite to decide whether they wanted to remain part of Germany. The delegation signed with many misgivings, but Germany was starving and the blockade would not be lifted until they signed. In some areas plebiscites were held - and the results ignored. Allied promises meant somewhat less than nothing.

If Adolf ever needed a goal in life, this was it. He would fight to destroy the Versailles treaty and restore German honor. The treaty brought severe hardship to the German population who were to pay 40% of her national wealth to the victors as a debt. Germany territory was chipped off in generous chunks and dished out to her neighbours. German people that in future would live in annexed lands would frequently be repressed and victimized, and in some cases killed - because they were Germans. 16,000,000 Germans were thus estranged from their motherland and forced to serve hostile victors. German economic ties outside Germany were taken away. All property outside Germany owned by Germans was confiscated.

Adolf the Politician

Adolf finished his course and was enlisted in an "Educational Detachment". Their task was to counter red propaganda, and educate soldiers to think in a patriotic way. Adolf became the star of the program. He quickly proved himself the most able speaker, even in the face of hostility in the audience.

Many speeches were given and routinely the Versailles disgrace, and Jewish influence in Marxist movements were paraded as facts easy for anyone to verify from local newspapers or their own memory of recent events.

Another of Adolf's duties was to spy on any of the over fifty political parties, some of which were considered possible threats by the new Bavarian government. He was asked to check out the "German Workers' Party"(GWP). The speakers were unexceptionally boring. Later in the evening Adolf decided to reply to the speaker. His speech riveted the small crowd of about 40 people. After the meeting he was approached and asked to come again. Shortly Adolf was invited to become a committee member. The GWP policies were broadly similar to Adolf's views, but they were so poorly organized that Adolf declined to join. HE saw the GWP as going nowhere.

But the idea of a party that would grow and accomplish things played in Adolf's mind and he met with Drexler of the GWP to help them organize things, since they obviously could not do so very well themselves. With his own money Adolf had pamphlets printed, and these were delivered far and wide, and at the next meeting about thirty new faces appeared. He had approximately doubled the size of his audience by printing professional pamphlets. On October 4 Adolf joined the GWP. He became member 55 and executive committee member 7.

The army was being drastically reduced, according to the Versailles treaty. Adolf was regarded as too valuable and they held on to him.

The GWP financial fortune was at that stage kept in a small cigar box. Adolf persuaded the committee to spend the entire fortune in renting a hall for an evening and advertise the event in a nationalist newspaper with large circulation.

The room they hired could hold 130 people. The GWP worried whether they could fill it. 111 people turned up, including one journalist for a right-wing newspaper. Doctor Erich Kuhn was the main speaker. Adolf followed him and spoke so brilliantly that he totally overshadowed the main speaker. At the end of his rousing speech he appealed for funds that they might continue their work. Adolf had just passed his grade as a budding politician.