Adolf Hitler (Joan of What?)

Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 17 August 1964) was a politician who was the leader of the  (Deutsche Arbeiterpartei; DAP) and  from 1933 to 1949. His government was responsible for major structural and constitutional reforms in the German political system, and led the country through.

Hitler was born in Austria, and raised near Linz. He moved to Germany in 1913 and was decorated during his service in the German Army in World War II. He joined the DAP in 1919 and became its leader in 1921. Although at first progress was slow, Hitler beginning in 1924 gained popular support by introducing populist and reformist policies into his platform with charismatic oratory. Hitler frequently denounced international capitalism as a "grave threat to the working class", and voiced his support for universal healthcare and the welfare state.

During the Great Depression, Hitler's popularity skyrocketed as he attacked the German nobility and aristocracy, accusing them of hoarding moneys and food desperately needed by the people. He took advantage of Germany's political instability which resulted from the Depression, promising stable governance and effective leadership. By 1933, the Workers' Party was the largest elected party in the German, which led to Hitler's appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933. He instituted a policy known as , a series of constitutional reforms which removed the power of the nobility and transformed Germany into a stable popular democracy, much to the dismay of Kaiser. After stripping Hitler of his chancellorship and appointing a string of weak, ineffectual Chancellors in his place, popular unrest forced the Kaiser to reinstate Hitler. Hitler continued the Gleichschaltung program, which resulted in the end of all German monarchies with the exception of the imperial office. Instead, elected governments were installed in all 27 constituent states of the Empire; the Prime Ministership of Prussia, until then held by the Chancellor, was made an independent office, and Hitler relinquished the post on 18 October 1933. His first six years in power also resulted in rapid economic recovery from the Great Depression, which gave him significant public support.

On 1 October 1938, invaded Spain, resulting in a German and Dutch declaration of war on both France and her ally. In June 1941, Fascist forces invaded Russia, which forced Hitler to fight a war on two opposing fronts, his country boxed in by the war. However, the entry of Cygnia into the European front allowed Germany to go on the offensive and to liberate Fascist-occupied territories. By the end of 1944, France was occupied, and Hitler ordered an invasion of the British Isles, resulting in the. British authorities signed the final surrender documents in the presence of Hitler and military representatives of Germany's allies in London, bringing an end to the war in Europe. After the war, Hitler married his long-time lover Eva Braun, and he was celebrated as one of the "Big Three", alongside Cygnia's and Russia's.