Hitler and StalinParallel Lives

Alan Bullock

Early Life

Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler• Born: April 20, 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria–Hungary.• The fourth of six children to Alois Hitler and Klara Pölzl.• Close to his mother• Troubled relationship with his father.• When Hitler was ten years old, his younger brother, Edmond, died

of measles.• Devoted himself to German nationalism to rebel against his father.• His father sent him to a technical high school, where Hitler would

become disruptive in order to rebel.

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• In 1905, Hitler was rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.• In December 1907, Hitler’s mother (47) died of breast cancer.• In 1909, after being rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna for

a second time, Hitler was living in a homeless shelter.• According to Hitler, this is when he first became an anti-Semite.• He blamed all problems in Germany and Austria on the Jews, as well

as Marxists and Slavs.• Social Darwinism• Hitler enlisted in the Bavarian army during World War I.

Joseph Stalin

• Born: December 18, 1878 to Ketevan Geladze and Besarion Jughashvili in the town of Gori, Georgia.

• Originally Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili• As a child, he was inspired by “Koba”

– Alexander Kazbegi’s novel The Patricide– Similar to Robin Hood.

• 1903: Expelled from a Georgian Orthodox seminary, discovered the writings of Vladimir Lenin and decided to become a Marxist revolutionary, and even joined Lenin's Bolsheviks.

• Stalin became one of their main operatives.

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• In 1906, Stalin married Ekaterina Svanidze, who later gave birth to Stalin's first child, Yakov.

• In 1907, Ekaterina died of Typhus.– “With her died any human feeling in him.”

• In Saint Petersburg in April 1912, Stalin created the newspaper Pravda.

• He eventually adopted the name "Stalin” (steel), which he used as an alias and pen name.

• Married Nadezhda Alliluyeva in 1919.• She gave birth to two other children.• Died November 9, 1932.

Rise to Power

Adolf Hitler• 1919: Hitler joins the German Workers' Party.• 1920: The German Workers’ Party becomes the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers' Party)

• July 1921: Hitler named leader of Nazi Party• February 26, 1924: Hitler on trial for treason after a failed attempt to overthrow

the government.• February 26, 1925: Hitler released• October 29, 1929: Great Depression begins, unemployment in Germany rises.• September 14, 1930: Nazis obtain 107 seats in the election, becoming the second largest

political party in Germany after the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD).• 1932: Hitler runs for president, loses, but becomes well known in politics.• January 30, 1933: The republic collapses; Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany• February 27, 1933: The Reichstag burns, causes panic and anti-communism.

• March 23, 1933: Hitler Becomes Dictator of Germany.

Joseph Stalin• 1921: Played an important role in engineering the Red Army invasion of

Georgia.• 1922: Lenin has Stalin appointed as General Secretary.• 1922: Lenin suffers a stroke, forcing him into semi-retirement in Gorki, just

south of Moscow.– Lenin writes in his testament that Stalin should be removed from his position.– Stalin forged an alliance with Lev Kamenev and Grigory Zinoviev against Leon

Trotsky.• April 1923: Stalin, Kamenev, and Grigory Zinoviev prevent Lenin's

Testament from being revealed to the Twelfth Party Congress• January 21, 1924: Lenin dies of a heart attack.

– Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev grew increasingly isolated, and were removed from the Central Committee, and then from the Party itself.

• 1929: Stalin achieves supreme power.

Hitler and Stalin Compared

Hitler and Stalin• Poor• Filled with resentments• No successor• Underestimated by their rivals• Had the need for power• Serious about their historic roles.• Trying to help and save their country.• Paranoia• Experts at simplification

– Able to appeal to the people.

• Unable to have normal relationships with others.– Stalin: Became “walled up in himself” and “incapable of responding to human affection”– Hitler: The archetypal recluse, could not have normal conversations

• Non-religious• Came to power by way of their party

– Stalin: CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union)– Hitler: NSDAP (Nazi Party)

Hitler• Able to appeal to Germans, who

were open-minded.• Created his own party.• Would give in to his nerves.• A gifted speaker• Tried to attract the people to a

cause.• Trusted his closest collaborators.• Helped the German Economy

(Lowered Unemployment)– Banned the introduction of some labor-

saving machinery. – Abolished taxation on new cars– Encouraged the mass production of radios– Took jobs and rights away from women

and Jews.

Stalin• Inhibited by Marxist tradition.• Followed the ideologies of other

revolutionaries.• Steady nerves in a crisis.• Unable to communicate well with

others.• Inspired fear in the people.• Believed that there was no room for

trust in politics.• Used “Five Year Plans”, launching a period

of rapid industrialization and economic collectivization, resulting in widespread famine in the early 1930s.