Previously unknown letters written by Adolf Hitler's father, Alois Hitler, shed light on the family origins of the Nazi dictator, reveals a new book that was published on Monday.
In his German-language book "Hitler's Father: How the Son Became a Dictator," Austrian historian Roman Sandgruber argues the elder Hitler played a large role in shaping the psychology of his son.
Alois Hitler, who died in 1902, was an Austrian customs officer whose job required moving house and family 18 times.
The book draws on 31 letters father Alois Hitler wrote to master road builder Josef Radlegger after buying his farm at Hafeld in Upper Austria.
Although Alois Hitler had no practical farming experience, he "always wanted to be a learned gentleman farmer who was better than others," writes Sandgruber.
He describes Alois Hitler as a mix of being self-taught, smug and someone who grossly overestimated himself.
