Adolf Hitler is perhaps one of the most notorious men in history. Responsible for one of the most infamous periods in modern history, Hitler is well known across the world for the devastating actions he put into motion. While history’s spotlight has frequently fallen on the man behind Germany’s most notorious time, there is little information spread about his wife, Eva Braun. While she is often painted as nothing more than a trophy wife, Braun had a lot more insight into life under Nazi Germany than anyone else. Before long, Braun was an integral part of the machine, keeping things running under Hitler’s reign.
(source: thefamouspeople.com)
In the early days of their courtship, Braun had no idea about Hitler’s ideologies. A young ingenue, Braun worked in a shop that belonged to Hitler’s personal photographer. When the couple first met, Hitler was Braun’s senior by 23 years and well into his political career. Despite this, Braun remained clueless and even after she was told of his real name and working position, she stated that she simply didn’t follow politics.
(source: allday.com)
Over the years, of course, Braun began to gain serious insight into Hitler’s campaign and world vision. Her loyalty to her husband had a deep impact on Hitler’s own inner circle and unless key members of the party created a rapport with Braun, they were very much left to the wayside. Her proximity to Hitler also enabled Braun to create a great deal of propaganda for the party, which she did chiefly through photography. Capturing key parts of Hitler’s private life, Braun put together a series of picture books which sold very well. As well as this, Braun made a fortune off her home movies, ranking up a hefty sum throughout her life.
Despite her proximity to Hitler’s inner circle, there’s a great deal of evidence to suggest that Braun didn’t feel as secure as she appeared to be. As well as trying to kill herself by shooting herself in the chest, she overdosed on 35 sleeping pills after not hearing from her husband for a considerable time.
(source: timesofisrael.com)
Over the years, Braun grew more carefree and even towards the end of the war, she lived in a huge amount of comfort. Feeding into Hitler’s paranoia, she even went so far as support his vision of a following through with a “hero’s death” should his enemies gain ground on his plot. The act ended up being carried out. After being married at the end of WWII, the two committed suicide in a joint pact. Loyal to the end, Braun was more important to Hitler’s campaign than we might have ever realized and in painting her own version of their family life, she managed to keep his delusions going for even longer than they might have on their own.