Hitler's Decline in Power

Hitler's rise to power was short-lived.  He quickly started to lose the war.  There were several factors, turning points, and reasons that he lost the war.  

One thing was that Hitler did not like the United States.  He was indifferent to them, and as a result, he failed to plan for an American invasion.  He thought that American democracy was a joke.  He didn't like their racial tolerance, and made it clear that he was not at all interested in America.  Really, he thought that America would never join the war.  Later, after Pearl Harbor, Germany had to declare war on the United States because of their pact with Japan.  

Hitler's advisors wanted him to think about America, and keep them out of the war.  They considered the United States a strong force, and they wanted them to stay out of the war for fear that America would win.  The United States also had a good navy.  Hitler was indifferent to the navy.  So, as a result, the German navy was very unprepared for the war.  When they (the naval officers) asked for permission to stop the American supplies, Hitler did not listen.  He forbade the naval generals to provoke the Americans on the seas, thus distracting him from the land warfare. 

This idea of not preparing for America demonstrates two things.  First, he failed to "grasp the war as a strategic whole".  Second, he had deep prejudices.  He let his distaste for America get in the way of winning the war.  He was unable "to bridge the gap between immediate military problems and that wider conflict which was coming"  (Compton 108). 

Another problem was that of the mass killing Hitler had created.  He was using up supplies that were needed for the war.  He never really connected the two though.  He thought that the extermination was related to the war in only one way:  The war concealed what he was doing.  It just needed to be done, it didn't cause him defeat or victory (Compton 112).

In 1942, Germany decided to launch a new offensive with the Russians, the capturing of Stalingrad.  The Germans advanced with 250,000 men, 500 tanks, 7,000 guns and mortars, and 25,000 horses.  In July of 1942, they stopped because of low fuel supplies.  When they received the supplies in August, they continued again.  Again they delayed because of short fuel supplies.  They needed to conserve the small supply they had.  The Germans, under the leadership of Paulus, waited for aid from the air force.  Meanwhile, the Soviets were very concerned with this advancing army.  Stalingrad was Stalin's city, and he wanted it protected at all costs. 

When the Germans got into the city, they were met with difficult conditions.  Fighting in the city was very difficult, and their tanks were useless.  Eventually, the German army fell victim to these conditions.  They appealed to Hitler for aid again.  Five battalions and another division arrived in Stalingrad.  But, it was not enough.  The Germans pulled out of the city and were now starving.  Eventually they were defeated and surrendered in 1943.  They lost 150,000 men.  Over 91,000 men were captured and marched to Siberia, only 45,000 died during the march to POW camps.  Only 7,000 actually survived the war (Simkin, 1-2).

This was one major mistake.  The Germans suffered severe defeat, and they could not go back to Russia.  They were also growing weaker on the Western front as well.  At first, Adolf refused to believe it.  He would fly into a rage, screaming and almost foaming at the mouth if someone suggested that Germany was going to lose.  Eventually, he believed what was happening.  The current events were spelling defeat for Hitler, and he knew it.   

Adolf prepared for defeat in his bunker on April 30, 1945.  He knew that Russian troops were closing in on Berlin.  First, he married Eva Braun, his mistress of 12 years.  After that, he made out his last will and testament.  Then he took Eva to his bedroom where he shot himself, and she took poison.  As he wished, their bodies were cremated. 

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