Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the Nazi Party from 1933 until his death in 1945. He and his Nazi government are known for causing World War II and the Holocaust, both killed millions of people.
Hitler became the leader of the Nazi Party in 1921. He led them to become the most powerful political party in Germany after the 1932 elections. He began running the government when he became the Chancellor of Germany in 1933. The Nazis banned all other political parties and turned Germany into a dictatorship, meaning that the government was ruled by one person. Hitler's dictatorship is known as Nazi Germany, and also as the Third Reich (meaning "Third Empire" or "Third Realm"). Hitler called himself the Führer (meaning "leader") after 1934.
Hitler ordered the takeover of Poland in 1939, and this started World War II in Europe. Hitler made all the important decisions during the war. At first, Nazi Germany did well in the war, but by 1945 they were losing. Hitler shot himself on 30 April 1945, as the Soviet Army got to Berlin, because he did not want to be captured alive by the Soviet Union.
Because of the Nazi government, at least 50 million people died. About 28.7 million soldiers and people died in the fighting. The war also killed 19.3 million civilians and prisoners of war. Nazi forces committed many war crimes during the war. They killed their enemies or put them in concentration camps and death camps. Hitler and his men persecuted and killed Jews and other ethnic, religious, and political minorities. In what is called the Holocaust, the Nazis killed six million Jews, Roma people, homosexuals, Slavs, and many other groups of people.