World War I began after the heir to the Austrian throne was gunned down by a young Serbian terrorist on June 28, 1914. Events quickly escalated as Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany urged Austria to declare war on Serbia. Russia then mobilized against Austria, Germany mobilized against Russia, and France and Britain mobilized against Germany. All over Europe, eager young men volunteered, including Adolf Hitler. Hitler believed that Germany could and should be a supremely powerful nation. Out of 3,000 men, 2,500 of them were wounded, killed or missing. Throughout most of the war, Hitler had great luck avoiding life threatening injuries. Hitler was an unusual soldier and was often eager for action and, always ready to volunteer for dangerous assignments, even after many narrow escapes from death. …show more content…
In response, Britain and France declared war on Germany. In 1940, Hitler’s activities escalated. He invaded France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Scandinavia with the goal of the invasion. Germany’s formal alliances with Japan and Italy, also known as the axis powers, were signed to prevent the United states from supporting and protecting the British. Hitler was then at war with the world’s largest empire, greatest financial power, and the world largest army. His military judgment became unpredictable facing these odds. German officers concluded that defeat was certain to happen, and Hitler’s denial would result in the destruction of the