By: Caitlyn Sump
How did Adolf Hitler really die? Was it murder or was it suicide? A British article states, “On the day of April 30, 1945, the last of the Nazis were put down by the Red Army. When Soviet officials found Hitler's body in May, they were unsure if he was murdered or if he committed suicide” (Daly-Groves). Let's dive deeper into these conspiracies about Hitler's death.
Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun
Adolf Hitler (Hitler) was a wicked person. A History article says, "On September 15, 1935, passage of the Nuremberg Laws deprived Jews of German citizenship, and barred them from marrying or having relations with persons of 'German or related blood'" (“Adolf Hitler: Rise to Power, Impact & Death”, 1). Hitler was wicked towards people not of his own kind (blonde hair and blue eyes). According to a chart on Statisca, over seventeen million people died at Hitler’s word (Buchholz, Katharina, and Felix Richter, 1).
Even though Hitler lived a pretty normal childhood, he was very cruel as an adult. When Hitler was about thirteen years old, in 1903, his father passed away. When that happened, Hitler pursued his dream of being an artist. Then his mother passed away in 1908. Following this, Hitler decided to move on to politics. In late 1918, things started to go downhill. Not for Hitler, but for everyone else. Hitler joined The National Socialist German Workers Party, or the Nazi Party. By the end of 1921, Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party. In years to come this name would become terrifying to many people.
In Hitler’s speech to the Reichstag in 1939, he said “They assure us: We cannot take them unless Germany is prepared to allow them a certain amount of capital to bring with them as immigrants. For hundreds of years Germany was good enough to receive these elements, although they possessed nothing except infectious political and physical diseases. What they possess today, they have by a very large extent gained at the cost of the less astute German nation by the most reprehensible manipulations” (“Mocking World Leaders.”). This shows that Hitler was against immigrants.
Eva Braun (Eva), the wife of Adolf Hitler, lived a pretty normal early life. “Eva Braun was born on 6 February 1912, in Munich, Bavaria, German Empire, to Friedrich ‘Fritz’ Braun and Franziska ‘Fanny’ Kronberger. She was the second daughter of the couple. While her father was a school teacher, her mother worked as a seamstress” (Eva Braun Biography, 1). While her young life was very normal, she would eventually marry Adolf Hitler and become a very depressed person. A History Skills article states, "Eva found herself in a world where her existence depended entirely on Adolf Hitler's whims. She sought ways to escape her anguish, leading to her first suicide attempt in August 1932" (“The Tragic Life of Eva Braun: Hitler’s Secret Mistress”, 1). Eva was so depressed that she tried to commit suicide.
Otto Wagener, the first chief of the SA staff, had a conservation with Hitler. Hitler explained to Otto “I have another bride: Germany! I am married: to the German people and their fate!...No, I cannot marry, I must not” (Gortemaker, 41). This says that Hitler did not want to marry Eva, even though he eventually did. While Hitler was a mean husband, Eva still loved him. The day Hitler married Eva, was the last full day of their lives. The next day they both committed suicide.
Many months before Hitler and Eva committed suicide, Hitler was on edge. A Washington Post article states, “He had developed a noticeable tremor in his left hand. He had bad teeth, bad breath, chronic flatulence and stomach problems. He had been treated with an array of drugs — narcotics, amphetamines, as well as leeches, hormones, vitamins and quack supplements” (Hitler’s Suicide: Nazi Shot Himself, Poisoned Eva Braun at WWII’s End, 1). This says that Hitler was not his normal self at the last few months of his death. He was probably even anxious about his death.
As all of the information above has stated, Hitler and Eva had typical childhoods but ultimately exhibited unusual behaviors in adulthood. Hitler was very controlling and wicked towards everyone not of his own kind. Eva was beyond depressed throughout her time with Hitler. Both of these traits seen throughout their adulthoods contributed to their deaths.
The
Conspiracies
Today, a lot of people are unsure of how Hitler died. Two conspiracy theories are proposed. One of the conspiracy theories is that he was murdered. If he was murdered, no one knows who murdered him. The other conspiracy theory is that he committed suicide. Let’s examine both theories further.
The first conspiracy is that Hitler was murdered by someone else. At the time of Hitler's death, there was a gun at his side. This could mean that someone else could have shot him. It could have been someone from the Red Army, but it is still very unlikely, "The Soviets were just two days away from storming Hitler’s underground shelter in Berlin when the crazed Nazi leader committed suicide" (Oleg 1). This means that this conspiracy is not true, because Hitler committed suicide, “Nikolai Popel, however, writes that Soviet soldiers generally didn’t care much about Hitler’s fate. He recalls talking with the officer who captured the Reich Chancellery: - This bandit escaped in the last minute…only burnt flesh and bones are left” (1). This states that the Red Army did find Hitler dead and that they did not murder him. This theory does not work because there is not any evidence to prove that it does work. All of the evidence states against this conspiracy theory.
The second conspiracy theory says that Hitler committed suicide, "Hitler and Braun were dead. Hitler had a bullet hole in his right temple" (Hitler’s Suicide: Nazi Shot Himself, Poisoned Eva Braun at WWII’s End - the Washington Post, 1). The head is usually where people shoot themselves when they want to committ suicide, “In all age groups, 55% of men and 30% of women used firearm” (Choi 1). This states that Hitler did in fact commit suicide; “After dictating his political testament, Hitler shot himself in his suite on April 30; Braun took poison. Their bodies were burned according to Hitler’s instructions” (“Adolf Hiter: Rise to Power, Impact & Death”1). There is evidence that proves that Hitler shot himself. For example, a few months after he passed away, his skull was found with a bullet hole in it (Frost 1). So, this theory is correct because of this evidence. Plus, all of the evidence points toward this conspiracy theory.
Even though a lot of people are still unsure how Hitler died, there is evidence that he committed suicide. The evidence that proves that he committed suicide is there was a bullet hole in his skull and that there was a gun at his side around the time of his death. In the end, Hitler did committ suicide.
In the End
How did Adolf Hitler really die? Was it murder or was it suicide? Even though a lot of people are still unsure how Hitler died, there is evidence that he committed suicide. The evidence that proves that he committed suicide is there was a bullet hole in his skull and that there was a gun at his side around the time of his death. In the end, Hitler did committ suicide.
Work Cited
“Adolf Hiter: Rise to Power, Impact & Death.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/adolf-hitler-1. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.
Buchholz, Katharina, and Felix Richter. “Infographic: 17 Million Fell Victim to the Nazi Regime.” Statista Daily Data, 26 Jan. 2021, www.statista.com/chart/24024/number-of-victims-nazi-regime/.
Choi, Namkee G., et al. “Three Leading Suicide Methods in the United States, 2017–2019: Associations with Decedents’ Demographic and Clinical Characteristics.” Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 10, Nov. 2022, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.955008.
“Eva Braun - Family, Facts & Hitler.” Biography, www.biography.com/history-culture/eva-braun. Accessed 17 Sept. 2024.
Frost, Natasha. “Hitler’s Teeth Reveal Nazi Dictator’s Cause of Death.” HISTORY, 26 Dec. 2018, www.history.com/news/hitler-death-cause-teeth-analysis.
“Hitler’s Suicide: Nazi Shot Himself, Poisoned Eva Braun at WWII’s End - the Washington Post.” The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/04/30/hitler-suicide-bunker-eva-braun/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.
“Mocking World Leaders.” Facing History & Ourselves, www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/mocking-world-leaders. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.
Oleg Yegorov. “Why Did the Red Army Fail to Capture Hitler in His Bunker?” Russia Beyond, 29 Oct. 2024, www.rbth.com/history/328769-hitler-death-red-army-berlin. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
“The Tragic Life of Eva Braun: Hitler’s Secret Mistress.” History Skills, www.historyskills.com/classroom/year-10/eva-braun/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2024.