Adolf Hitler was a brilliant man, but his twisted thoughts and hunger for power was the key to his downfall. Most people do not realize how intelligent he was. But how many people could turn a country like Germany, with its economy in ruins, into a great empire that would rival the rest of the world's super-powers such as the United States, Great Britain, and France. Hitler attained political power through his association with the Nazi party and his skillfulness as a politician.
             In 1930, Hitler moved to Munich, Germany. The Austrian Army called on him for a physical examination, but was found unfit for service. World War I began in August of 1914. Hitler immediately volunteered for service in the German Army and was accepted. He served bravely as a messenger on the Western Front for most of the war, taking part in some of the bloodiest battles. He was wounded and twice decorated for bravery. When Germany surrendered in 1918, he was in a military hospital recovering from temporary blindness that resulted from his exposure to mustard gas in an ill-planned mustard gas attack on the Americans. He was deeply shaken by news of the armistice. He believed that the unity of that German nation was threatened, and that he must attempt to save Germany. After World War I, Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The treaty held Germany responsible for the war. It stripped the nation of much territory and restricted the German Army to 100,000 men. The harshest part was the enormous payments for war damages. The demands were so great that the German government went deep into debt. This angered the German people, and Hitler as well. After healing from the mustard gas, he returned to Munich. Six months before leaving the army, Adolf began attending meetings of a small nationalist group called the German Worker's Party. Later this group becomes known as the Nazi Party. In March 1920 Adolf leaves the army.
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