Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 in Germany. As a child, he was interested in German patriotism and became fascinated with war after seeing images of the Franco-Prussian war. Hitler volunteered for the German army in World War 1 and received honors for his bravery. After the war, he rose to power as the leader of Nazi Germany and initiated World War 2 by invading countries in Europe. Hitler persecuted Jewish people and oversaw the mass murder of millions in the Holocaust before committing suicide as the war turned against Germany in 1945.