Who was Hitler? Almost everyone can answer this question in general, because Adolf Hitler characterized the twentieth century with his terrible dominance as a National Socialist "leader" in such a terrifying way that his name is unknown to anyone. He is one of the most hated and infamous figures in recent history. Hitler's life is detailed on the basis of the most extensive compilation of archival material to date. Almost half of the material consists of previously unpublished sources. All set against the social background of the first half of the 20th century.