Adolf Hitler had a difficult childhood, with his father beating him and his younger brother dying in 1900. As a young boy, he dreamed of becoming a priest but was interested in German nationalism and the military. After some struggles and rejections from art school, Hitler lived in Vienna hoping to pursue art. However, he grew to resent the large Jewish population in Vienna and blamed them for Austria's problems. During World War I, Hitler served in the German army on the Western Front and was decorated for bravery, though he was never promoted. The defeat of Germany and the Treaty of Versailles deeply angered Hitler and influenced his growing nationalism and anti-Semitism.