Philipp Bouhler was a child soldier in the First World War. He was seriously wounded at the age of 17 and was permanently disabled. After the war, he took an emergency school-leaving certificate and studied German and philosophy. He dropped out after two years. In 1921, he became a publisher at the Völkischer Beobachter and made a career in the NSDAP. In 1923, he became managing director of the Großdeutsche Volksgemeinschaft, the replacement party for the banned NSDAP. His career continued from 1933. Finally, from November 1934, he headed the Chancellery of the Führer. There he was in charge of planning and organising the »Euthanasia« measures. From 1943, he lost influence and joined Hermann Göring at the end of the war, who wanted to surrender. Bouhler was arrested for this on Hitler’s orders. He was released after Hitler’s suicide. Together with other supporters, Bouhler was arrested by American soldiers on 9 May 1945. He and his wife committed suicide on the way to the Dachau internment camp. He had no children.
