Hit ‧ ler, Ad ‧ olf /ˈhɪtləʳ, ˈædɒlf $ ˈeɪdɑːlf/ BrE AmE
(1889–1945) the leader of the Nazi Party in Germany from 1921. He was born in Austria and was the ‘Führer’ (=leader) of Germany from the mid-1930s until his death. Hitler is remembered as a strong, cruel leader who allowed no opposition, as an impressive public speaker, and especially for his attempts to establish a pure race of German people through a policy of ↑ anti-Semitism , as a result of which millions of Jewish people were killed in ↑ concentration camp s . He started World War II by ordering his armies to enter Poland in 1939, and at first Germany was very successful because Hitler had made its armed forces strong and well-organized. He killed himself in 1945, just before Germany lost the war. His name is now sometimes used to describe someone who uses their authority in a cruel or unfair way, or someone who wants to control everything. ⇨ ↑ fascism