Throughout this article it’s important to bear in mind that objectivity is difficult with a historical person like Adolf Hitler. It could feel uncomfortable to think of him as a brave war figure, or anything but a monstrous maniac. Some sources openly mock him and refute the truth of his wartime experiences based on moral grounds related to his later actions. But no matter your perspective, it’s crucial to see how Hitler as a young man in his 20s transformed through his military service into dictator of Germany.
Hitler, aka private No. 148 in the 1st Company, 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment, reported for duty in 1914 happy as a lark. During basic training fellow soldier Hans Mend described the future führer gazing at his rifle “with delight, as a woman looks at her jewelry,” per Warfare History Network. In just over two-and-a-half months Hitler and his regiment went from green novices at Oberweisenfeld Barracks to frontline combatants on October 25 during the months-long Battle of Ypres. The conflict progressed into close-quarters combat that saw him jumping into British trenches. At one point a bomb reportedly went off and killed the man next to Hitler, but only tore Hitler’s sleeve — the first time of many that he survived through luck.
In the end, over 10% of German soldiers died in the battle. In recognition of Hitler’s actions his regimental commander, Lieutenant Colonel Philipp Engelhardt, referred him to headquarters as a runner to deliver messages across battlefields.
[Featured image by Unknown, AI image processing: Madelgarius via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]
