The Holocaust was a despicable event that dimmed the light of human society from the early 1930s until the mid-1940s. As the years have passed, historians have analyzed the remaining evidence from this era to reveal the details of this disgusting massacre to the public eye. Teachers across the nation made sure to cover all aspects of this event in their history lessons. However, students often dutifully question this ongoing effort. Why should we study the Holocaust if it was already long ago? After all, the past is in the past. Shouldn't we instead focus on the future ahead of us? Ultimately, confusion among students may never be resolved optimally. What many fail to understand is the inseparable connection between what has already passed and what is destined to follow in the future. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay It would simply be impossible to discuss the Holocaust without also mentioning the mastermind behind it. The man responsible for the series of events that led to World War II is none other than the infamous Adolf Hitler. Hitler was just like all his other peers when he was young. He had the same dreams that many of his friends would have and he had a family that loved him very much. However, what set Hitler apart from any other little boy trotting down the street would be the haunting desperation in his heart throughout his unfortunate childhood as heartbreaking events continually occurred in his family. He was the fourth child in his family, but was also the oldest survivor, as his three older brothers all died in infancy. In addition to that, Hitler's father also died when he was only in a very early stage of his life, and since he was the eldest male in the family, and not to mention the most mature of the children in the house, he was automatically supposed to be responsible for the significant tasks of the family to which the father of the family would normally be assigned. Because of this, he rarely experienced the freedom that most children of the time desired in their daily lives. Before World War I, Hitler worked as a decently paid casual laborer and painter, mostly selling watercolors for a living. He had applied twice to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, but was rejected both times. The academy had not believed in his natural abilities as a painter, and this was simply one more knife in his heart as the knives from earlier events in his childhood were already stuck deep in him. Almost immediately after the second rejection, he ran out of money and was eventually forced to live in a homeless shelter for several years. When World War I entered combat, Hitler immediately volunteered to serve in the army. This constituted an important contribution to Hitler's rise to power, as historians have subsequently pointed out. During World War I and the brief moments thereafter, Hitler's hatred of the Jews gradually bubbled to the surface. Eventually, he organized a rebellion and attacked the government to make his views heard. However, his army was not strong enough at the time and for his acts he was imprisoned and sentenced to five years in prison. While in prison, he amused himself by writing a book called Mein Kampf, also known as My Struggle. The book carefully detailed every crucial event that happened in his life from that point on, and it immediately became popular.