The fury of hell matched only by the determination to pass through it. World War II is a symbol of the struggle of men, the perseverance of spirit, and the determination to stand when others simply scurried away. Like a tattoo engrained in the heart of man, we can’t escape the effects that World War II has had on our lives. More than 70 years ago on September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland without warning igniting the start of the war. Two days later, Britain and France joined in to fight against Germany and within a week Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and South America followed. This turn of events would mark the second World War in 25 years.

It was as if the entire world was matched against each other with American fighting Italy, Japanese against Australia, Poland combating Germany. From the streets of Stalingrad to the sweltering deserts of Libya, the land played home to one of the greatest attempts for global domination that history has ever seen.

The Rise of a Mad Man

Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party, also known as the Nazi Party. Most importantly, it was Hitler that would inevitably lead to the start of WWII. Hitler’s rise to power seemed almost certain given his strong military and political background. Hitler was a very charming, very powerful man who embodied everything that Germany needed at the time – a strong force and a new direction.

Before coming into power, much of Hitler’s life read like a tragic Shakespearean novel. In his early years, Hitler wanted to be an artist. After the heartbreaking loss of his mother when he was 18, Hitler was then rejected from art school. Living much like a vagabond, he sought an escape into the Austrian army, which too rejected him as he was “too weak to carry weapons.” He eventually sought purpose in the German army. During his time in battle, Adolf was awarded six medals of Honor after WWI. Still in fury over Germany’s defeat, Hitler sought power and leadership as means of combating his rage. In 1923, Hitler was sent to prison after attempting an armed uprising in Munich. While in prison, Hitler penned his infamous book, “Mein Kampf,” which outlined his political ideology. Upon his release from prison, he rebuilt the Nazi party. It would be stronger as it would use new techniques of mass communication matched by its superior levels of violence.

Germany’s back was already up against a wall as it faced economic depression and political turmoil. It was the perfect opening for the Nazi Party promising change and power. By 1932, the Nazi party was the largest party in the German parliament. Naturally, Hitler became chancellor of a coalition government in January 1933. There he executed his plot for dictatorship and began to institute anti-Jewish laws. It was at this time he also began the process of German military and territory expansion that would lead to WWII. His axis was forming to include Italy and Japan.

A Victorious Start Followed by a Disastrous End

Hitler’s invasion of Poland in September 1939 began World War II. Hitler set his eyes on Poland and in September 1939, German forces invaded the land. It wasn’t too long after that that Denmark, Norway, and Western Europe would fall prey to Hitler’s advancements. Hitler was confident and ready to take on Britain, but it wouldn’t be as easy. In 1941, his failed military forces were unable to subdue Britain. A new plan was drawn and Hitler ordered his men to invade the Soviet Union.

The Eyes of Satan upon the Community of Man

The collective beating heart of the Jewish population struggled to survive under the grasp of Hitler. All Jewish populations conquered were sent to death camps to be gassed, killed, or worked to death. By 1945, six million Jews died – two out of every three European Jew would be killed. The tragedy didn’t stop there – estimates range the death of children to be somewhere in the 1.5 million mark. It wasn’t just Jewish-born community members that Hitler targeted. Any one who Hitler or the Nazi party deemed “different” was sent to the same fate. This group included political prisoners, Social Democrats, Communists, trade unionists, habitual criminals, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, beggars, and the disabled.

And They All Came Tumbling After

Britain wasn’t the only country who fought back against Germany with success. In December 1941, Hitler declared war on the United States. It would be the greatest downturn Hitler had come across. The war on the East drained Germany’s resources. On June 6, 1944, Britain and America landed in France in what would forever be known as the Invasion of Normandy. The Soviet Troops stormed the German capital and Hitler’s rise to power was plummeting as fast as it came. In Hitler’s mind there was only one thing he could do – in a bunker in Berlin on April 30, 1945, Hitler committed suicide with a gun shot to his head. His wife, Eva Braun, would do the same shortly after by ingesting cyanide.

It is a war long over, but never forgotten. The lives lost, the battles forged, and the nameless faces affected will go on living in history book all over the country. People will tell the tale of a man who rose to power, set the world on fire, and then died before he could witness it rise from the ashes once again.