Adolf Hitler served in the Bavarian army during World War I and as Chancellor of Germany from 1933. His most infamous role was his reign as Leader of Germany, gaining complete unelected power on the 2 August 1934 after the death of the German President. He led the world into a second World War when he attempted to expand Germany's borders and create a Third Reich. Hitler is perhaps one of the most controversial and complicated dictators of the twentieth century.