Childhoods of Guevara and Hitler

Childhoods of Guevara and Hitler

Guevara and Hitler's Childhoods

It is not surprising to see that, though there shared some similarities, Che Guevara and Adolf Hitler had vastly different childhoods. Guevara grew up a child of privilege, and it was because of his privileged position that he had the opportunity to observe the living conditions of many South and Central Americans. Hitler's childhood was not privileged, and he determined that some type of social change was necessary, in part because of his perception that he was the target of discrimination.

Che Guevara's parents were somewhat privileged, and Guevara enjoyed a relatively peaceful and affluent childhood in Argentina. However, his parents were politically active, and shared this political activity with their child. For example, the young Guevara was exposed to his parent's anti-fascist views, especially their anti-Nazi political leanings. Guevara became politically active at an early age; "when the light and power workers striked over pay in Che's local province, he organised a "sling-shot" gang to destroy every street light in town overnight. Che was only eleven at the time." In contrast, Hitler had a very difficult childhood. He was a member of the middle-class, but his father was from the lower class. There were hints of incest in the family, and some have even suggested that Hitler's father was also his mother's natural father. Furthermore, it is widely reported that Hitler's father beat him. Therefore, the two men had very different private lives as children.