Opening
"American history is filled with two kinds of "great men". Great men who are known to be "great men" due to their statesmanship providing the kind of moral and strategic leadership that future generations can learn from and admire. These men include George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Martin Luther King Jr. The other type of "great men" are those who developed a large following and whose achievements still impact the nation to this day, but large aspects of their legacies are events and policies the nation either wishes to forget, or rebuke. Men in this list include Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, and Adolph Hitler." - The Great Men of American History, by Eric Foner, American Historian and author.
"Adolph Hitler, son of Austrian immigrants Alois and Klara Hitler was born in Comal County in Texas Hill country in 1891. An above average student, he enjoyed drawing art and reading about history, especially about wars. As a Texan, he always found it fascinating that Texas was originally part of Mexico, and that it took two wars to bring the Lone star under the star-spangled flag. Frequently dressing up as American soldiers of the Mexican-American War during his free time, he developed a fascination of military and war. He also had a deep love of art, as mentioned above, and would draw pictures of either buildings or battlefields. As always, the buildings and weapons were drawn of a much higher quality than the people. His father, with a pernicious drinking habit, at certain times left much of the raising responsibilities on Klara Hitler, however Alois' drinking problem waxed and waned, making it a minor issue. Hitler also loved reading about history, especially American. He sometimes dreamed of being a cowboy and fighting in the frontier (the frontier had only been officially closed a year after his birth). While relatively popular at school, successful in grades, and a generally stable household, there were early signs of Hitler's mentality. He always played during his outdoor imagination games as Cowboys against Indians, as American soldiers against Mexican soldiers, and, for a German child in the German pro-Union stronghold of Texas, was quite fond of the Confederacy. He certainly always opposed secession and was glad that the Union won (and was a great admirer of Lincoln), but was never troubled by the racial views that the Confederacy promoted, and the Jim Crow South maintained in practice. Hitler always carried with him an "us and them" mentality, even in the fond days of his youth. Certainly, it was the traumatic experience of war that exacerbated these tendencies into beliefs, and then later, into policies" - Adolph Hitler: An Impactful Legacy, by David McCullough, American Historian and author.
Special thanks to @redditredcoat216 for the awesome title card!
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