When you look through the history books, even those of more recent years, the pages are full of wars, and whether between ancient dynasties or modern states, the horrific consequences always leave readers and listeners wondering how such atrocities can happen. However, to learn from the past is of vital importance for the generations that follow, despite on occasion, humanity, seeming to make the same mistakes, over and over again.

In fact hindsight is of course a wonderful thing, and this is never truer than when considering the major conflicts of the 20th Century and the Second World War in particular. It is all too easy to judge the decisions of our predecessors with comments like “It was obvious what would happen” and “If only”, and when it comes to Adolf Hitler, undoubtedly one of history’s most notorious villains of the peace, we can all too readily express opinions about how he could have been prevented from bringing the world to the brink of destruction.

Now, everyone knows that Adolf Hitler lost his battle for world domination, but the reasons for his eventual demise are truly fascinating, and a salutary lesson for all mankind. This journal will explore why Hitler and his plan for a 1,000-year Reich failed to succeed, and the part this played in the eventual outcome of World War II.