It's an inspiring, up-by-the-bootstraps tale of a young Austrian "vagabond" whose dreams and ambition brought him higher than anyone around him could've have imagined. It might have been a feel-good, Oprah-worthy tear-jerker except that the young dreamer in question was Adolf Hitler. Instead, what we're given is the strange yet familiar tale of a man who viewed himself as the messianic savior of his people, and who was willing to do whatever it took to realize his vision of leading them to glory.
Hitler's ambition was fueled by a godlike sense of destiny. Even the unsuccessful attempts on his life made him think he was under some kind of divine protection. Hitler had no problem squelching the ambition of other men who might be rivals for power. Between Hitler and Stalin, WWI saw some of the most brutally disastrous results of personal ambition in history.
Definitely not Oprah material.
Questions About Ambition
- When did Hitler first decide to pursue a career in politics? What prompted the decision?
- What were Hitler's youthful ambitions? Did he abandon them entirely once he turned to politics?
- According to Shirer, why was Hitler determined to seize complete control over Germany's political institutions? Aside from becoming a dictatorial overlord, what did he have to gain?
Chew on This
Shirer believes that ambition in a person with a sadistic nature and warped mind can—and almost did—destroy the world.
Though Hitler claimed that he was destined to lead the German people to greatness, his actions proved that his real ambition was to achieve personal power rather than to create a new and glorious Germany.