In 1945, as British and American troops descended upon his hideout from the West and Russian troops from the East, Hitler took his own life by pistol in his bunker. Hitler’s corpse was identified by dental records. His wife of one day, Eva Braun, committed suicide by taking cyanide. Hitler had supreme authority as führer (leader or guide), but could not have risen to power or committed such atrocities on his own. He had the active support of the powerful German officer class and of millions of everyday citizens who voted for the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party and hailed him as a national savior in gigantic stadium rallies.
