Adolf Hitler, born in 1889 in Austria, became the leader of the Nazi Party and Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, driving the country into World War II and implementing policies that led to the Holocaust. His rise to power was facilitated by the political instability of the Weimar Republic and the Great Depression, allowing the NSDAP to gain significant influence through elections. Hitler's ideologies and actions resulted in unprecedented human suffering and destruction, marking him as one of history's most notorious figures.