Military career of Adolf Hitler

Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
	Hitler in uniform c. 1921–1924
Allegiance	German Empire (1914–1918) Kingdom of Bavaria; ; Weimar Republic (1918–1920);
Branch	Imperial German Army Bavarian Army; ; Reichsheer;
Years of service	1914–1920
Rank	Gefreiter
Unit	16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment
Battles / wars	World War I Western Front (World War I) First Battle of Ypres; Second Battle of Ypres; Battle of the Somme (WIA) Battle of Fromelles; ; Battle of Arras; Battle of Passchendaele; ; ;
Awards	Iron Cross First Class; Iron Cross Second Class; Wound Badge; Honor Cross 1914–1918; Bavarian Cross of Military Merit, Third Class with Swords; Bavarian Medal of Military Service, Third Class; Regimental Diploma (Regiment "List");

The military career of Adolf Hitler, who was the dictator of Germany from 1933 until 1945, can be divided into two distinct portions of his life. Mainly, the period during World War I when Hitler served as a Gefreiter (lance corporal) in the Bavarian Army, and the era of World War II when he served as the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces) through his position as Führer of Nazi Germany.