Germany, much of Europe and Russia lay in ruins following Hitler's war, the most destructive conflict in the history of humanity, in which 54 million persons had perished – with more civilians killed than combatants – while another 60 million civilians had been uprooted from their homes or seen them destroyed. Although U.S. troops were regarded as the friendliest of the conquerors, American troops had nevertheless made it a practice of forcing local townspeople and ex-Hitler Youth members to view the carnage inside liberated concentration camps. In some places they were even forced to help bury corpses. Elsewhere, German boys and girls were eventually required to attend local theaters and watch Allied educational films concerning the camps. All over Germany, surviving Nazi leaders were hunted down and taken into custody. Among those captured were Hermann Göring, ex-Foreign Minister Joachim Ribbentrop, Field Marshal Keitel, General Jodl, and Hans Frank, one-time Governor-General of Poland. Heinrich Himmler, perhaps the most notorious Nazi after Hitler, had killed himself by ingesting poison while in British custody. The beginning of the 21st Century saw the gradual passing of the generation of Germans who either participated in, or witnessed, the Nazi reign of terror. Although the perpetrators have mostly departed, the mentality that propelled them to murderous action – racial hatred, lust for power, and greed – remains an unsolved human problem that has plagued the world from dawn of civilization, providing ample opportunity for aspiring tyrants and is an ever-present danger.
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| News Article of Hitler's Death |
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| Adolf Hitler |
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