Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician who led the National Socialist German Workers Party. He was Chancellor of Germany and Führer of Germany .

After World War I, the Nazi Party gained power during Germany's period of crisis by exploiting nationalism, antisemitism, anti-communism, propaganda and by Hitler's charismatic oratory. The Nazis executed or assassinated many of their opponents, restructured the state economy, rearmed the armed forces and established a totalitarian and fascist dictatorship. Hitler pursued a foreign policy with the goal of seizing Lebensraum. The German Invasion of Poland in 1939 caused the British and French Empires to declare war on Germany, effectively beginning World War II.