Bavarian Army

But we can only understand that if we really do take seriously this life history approach of Hitler that really focuses on the period between 1889 and and 1924.

It's so interesting because one of the questions that I did have that makes a lot more sense and it kind of changes the question was how does an Austrian born or why does an Austrian born citizen just weeks after World War I starts for the Bavarian army in 1914.

He essentially volunteers because he sees himself as a German Austrian or Austrian-German, works either way, who now wants to serve for Germany at a moment of existential challenge.

So this is the kind of... where people all over Europe think that their own country faces an existential threat.

He really does believe from his childhood onwards that all Germans should serve together under one national roof.

And so in a way, it makes sense that he volunteers there.

We also have got to bear in mind, I mean, you already said, crucially, he does not serve in the German army, but in the Bavarian army.

Of course, on one hand, this is technicality because technically there is no such thing as the German army in the First World War.