AdolfHitlerwasbornon20thApril,1889,inthesmallAustriantownofBraunauneartheGermanborder.BothHitler'sparentshadcomefrompoorpeasantfamilies.HisfatherAloisHitler,theillegitimatesonofahousemaid,wasanintelligentandambitiousmanandlaterbecameaseniorcustomsofficial. 　　KlaraHitlerwasAlois'thirdwife.Aloiswastwenty-threeyearsolderthanKlaraandalreadyhadtwochildrenfromhispreviousmarriages.KlaraandAloishadfivechildrenbutonlyAdolfandayoungersister,Paula,survivedtobecomeadults. 　　Alois,whowasfifty-onewhenAdolfwasborn,wasextremelykeenforhissontodowellinlife.Aloisdidhaveanothersonbyanearliermarriagebuthehadbeenabigdisappointmenttohimandeventuallyendedupinprisonfortheft.Aloiswasastrictfatherandsavagelybeathissonifhedidnotdoashewastold. 　　Hitlerdidextremelywellatprimaryschoolanditappearedhehadabrightacademicfutureinfrontofhim.Hewasalsopopularwithotherpupilsandwasmuchadmiredforhisleadershipqualities.Hewasalsoadeeplyreligiouschildandforawhileconsideredthepossibilityofbecomingamonk. 　　Competitionwasmuchtougherinthelargersecondaryschoolandhisreactiontonotbeingtopoftheclasswastostoptrying.HisfatherwasfuriousashehadhighhopesthatHitlerwouldfollowhisexampleandjointheAustriancivilservicewhenheleftschool.However,Hitlerwasastubbornchildandattemptsbyhisparentsandteacherstochangehisattitudetowardshisstudieswereunsuccessful. 　　Hitleralsolosthispopularitywithhisfellowpupils.Theywerenolongerwillingtoaccepthimasoneoftheirleaders.AsHitlerlikedgivingordershespenthistimewithyoungerpupils.Heenjoyedgamesthatinvolvedfightingandhelovedre-enactingbattlesfromtheBoerWar.HisfavouritegamewasplayingtheroleofacommandorescuingBoersfromEnglishconcentrationcamps. 　　TheonlyteacherHitlerappearedtolikeatsecondaryschoolwasLeopoldPotsch,hishistorymaster.Potsch,likemanypeoplelivinginUpperAustria,wasaGermanNationalist.PotschtoldHitlerandhisfellowpupilsoftheGermanvictoriesoverFrancein1870and1871andattackedtheAustriansfornotbecominginvolvedinthesetriumphs.OttovonBismarck,thefirstchancelloroftheGermanEmpire,wasoneofHitler'searlyhistoricalheroes. 　　Hitler'sothermaininterestatschoolwasart.HisfatherwasincensedwhenHitlertoldhimthatinsteadofjoiningthecivilservicehewasgoingtobecomeanartist.TherelationshipbetweenHitlerandhisfatherdeterioratedandtheconflictonlyendedwiththedeathofAloisHitlerin1903. 　　Hitlerwasthirteenwhenhisfatherdied.Hisdeathdidnotcausethefamilyfinancialhardships.TheHitlerfamilyownedtheirownhomeandtheyalsoreceivedalumpsumandagenerouscivilservicepension. 　　KlaraHitler,akindandgentlewoman,tendedtospoilherson.LikeherhusbandshewaskeenforAdolftodowellatschool.Herattemptsatpersuasionachievednomoresuccessthanherhusband'sthreatsandhecontinuedtoobtainpoorgrades. 　　Attheageoffifteenhedidsobadlyinhisexaminationsthathewastoldhewouldhavetorepeatthewholeyear'sworkagain.Hitlerhatedtheideaandmanagedtopersuadehismothertoallowhimtoleaveschoolwithoutasecondaryeducationqualification.Hecelebratedbygettingdrunk.However,hefounditanhumiliatingexperienc