Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany by convincing people he could improve their lives and make Germany powerful again. He took over the Nazi party in 1920 and became Chancellor in 1933, establishing a dictatorship. Hitler had a difficult childhood, losing his mother and siblings at a young age. As a soldier in WWI, he was decorated for bravery but was also exposed to German nationalism and anti-Semitism. His extreme hatred of Jews may have stemmed from blaming a Jewish doctor for his mother's death.