The War Years 1913 to 1918

Hitler left Austria in 1913 to avoid being drafted into the Austrian-Hungarian Army. It was not that he was a coward, but that he did not wish to serve with all the "inferior" people that made up the country of his birth. He moved to the German city of Munich, which was to become the birthplace of the Nazi party.

The outbreak of the Great War in 1914 allowed Hitler to join the German Army. He welcomed the war as a great adventure that would break the monotony of his life. Hitler became a battalion runner, which was a very dangerous job. He would run messages between the front trenches and headquarters located, behind the lines.

During the war Hitler was wounded twice, once by bullet and once by gas. In all he won six medals for bravery, including the Iron Cross, one of the highest medals for bravery in the German military. The irony in Hitler winning the Iron Cross was that the officer who recommended him for the medal was Jewish.

When the war ended, Hitler became bitter and angry because Germany surrendered. As usual, he blamed Jews and German politicians for stabbing the German Army in the back by ending the war. Hitler later claimed that fighting in the Great War was the greatest experience of his life. In fact, Hitler had found a true home in the army, and staged in military after the armistice was signed.