Adolph Hitler (In power: 1933 – 1945)
The last person on this list needs little introduction. One of the most notorious and reviled leaders of the 20th century was Adolph Hitler. Born in 1889 in Austria and christened “Adolphus Hitler,” he was the fourth of six children. His beginnings were humble and he had an often-contentious relationship with his father. As a youth, he began to take an interest in German nationalism – even though he was an Austrian by birth. A few years after the death of his father, Alois, in 1903, Hitler moved to Vienna to pursue an education in fine arts. However, he was twice rejected from attending the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. In 1913, Hitler relocated to the city of Munich.
Upon the outbreak of World War I, Hitler volunteered for the German army and was eventually accepted. Even though he spent a majority of his time away from the front lines, he did participate in the battle of the Somme and was decorated for bravery. When the war finished, Hitler became bitter and disillusioned by the peace that followed and the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1919, Hitler joined the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) – or the Nazi party for short. In just two years, Hitler’s charisma and zealous anti-semitic and anti-Marxist rhetoric led him to the chairmanship of the Nazi party.
The rest as they say is history. It is well known that Hitler went on to write his infamous Mein Kampf while briefly being imprisoned in 1924. From there, he would eventually win the ultimate position of the Chancellor of Germany where he proclaimed the beginning of a “thousand-year Reich.” His vehement anti-Semitism would lead to the Holocaust and his desire to conquer Europe would lead to the beginning of World War II. During the war, his Nazi regime would be responsible for the deaths of an estimated 19 million civilians and prisoners of war (including those killed in concentration camps). The murderous reign would finally come to an end in April 1945 when Hitler, and his wife, committed suicide as Soviet troops closed in on Berlin.