100 years ago, today, Adolf Hitler published the original manuscript of Mein Kampf, which was titled: Four-and-a-half Years of Struggle against Lies, Stupidity, and Cowardice. The book went on to become a text that launched a genocide. However, as contrary as it may sound, historians have pointed out that Hitler too have an "other side" to him. A side that people often are curious about, but no one wants to admit. The romantic side of Hitler. Big Think's Tim Brinkhof notes that much has been written on Hitler's sexuality. In fact, so much so that all these articles have exceeded the number of articles written on his political careers and war crimes. Why so? If you come to think about it, everyone has their fantasies, and dark side, which they explore by doing something they would now usually do. One of them is entering a relationship with one of history's most ruthless dictator - Adolf Hitler. What Is It Like To Date Hitler? Throughout his life, Hitler, the "supposedly celibate" man, did have a lot of affairs, which showed a different side of his. The First 'Love' Affair With Niece Biographer Michael Lynch notes that the first serious relationship Hitler had was with his niece Geli Raubel. She was the daughter of his half-sister, who asked if she could stay in his Munich apartment while she completed her studies. It is during this time when he developed an unusual liking towards her. Maybe because, in the words of Lynch, it "provided the sort of companionship that politics could not". The nature of the relationship was beyond that of niece and uncle. He was possessive. He would not allow Raubel to wear certain clothes without his permission. In fact, he also stopped her from marrying a man her parents have approved. "At first, Geli was flattered by her uncle’s devoted attention, but soon found it frighteningly overbearing," notes Lynch. One morning, while Hitler was away attending a party rally in Nuremberg, Geli Raubal took her own life using one of his revolvers. Hitler’s love life was never just personal—it was deeply entangled with his political image. News of the suicide quickly spread through Munich, sparking a storm of rumors. Some newspapers even suggested Hitler might have been directly involved in her death, a scandal so explosive it threatened to unravel the entire Nazi Party. Shaken by the accusations and public uproar, Hitler was reportedly so distressed that he briefly considered walking away from politics altogether. Once he returned to Munich, he gathered her clothes and belongings into a single room and declared that room to be her shrine. However, Ernst Hanfstaengl, a close friend of Hitler’s and author of Hitler: The Missing Years, has reasons to believe that he may have exaggerated his grief for political gains. The Girlfriend From 'Enemy Land' For Hitler, anyone who opposed him was an enemy, and the British had of course topped the list. But like the saying goes, 'All is fair in love and war'. He had a British girlfriend. Unity Mitford, an English socialite and the sister-in-law of Britain's foremost fascist politician instantly fell under his spell. She moved to Munich and began to visit his favourite restaurant, Osteria Bavaria. After months of quietly eating lunch at the table across from his, Mitford was finally invited to join him for a meal. Mitford quickly became more than just a familiar face around Hitler—she was soon part of his trusted inner circle. She wasn’t just attending lavish events like the Bayreuth Festival; she was also by his side at major political and diplomatic gatherings, including the 1936 Summer Olympics. Her rising status in his eyes wasn’t just about charm or loyalty—it was her growing alignment with Nazi ideology that cemented her place. Mitford openly embraced anti-Semitism, going so far as to write inflammatory pieces for a Nazi newspaper, warning of a so-called “Jewish danger” in Britain and even proudly calling herself a “Jew hater.” But their connection—intense as it was—couldn’t survive the realities of war. As tensions escalated, several high-ranking Nazi officials, including Albert Speer, became increasingly uncomfortable with a British woman being privy to sensitive military discussions. Hitler was pressured to distance himself. At the same time, Mitford was begging him not to go to war with her homeland. When Hitler invaded Poland and war became inevitable, something broke inside her. In despair, she turned a pistol—one Hitler had given her for self-defense—on herself in a Munich park. Unlike Geli Raubal, Mitford survived. Gravely injured, she was rushed to a hospital. When Hitler found out, he was deeply shaken. He immediately arranged for her medical care and promised to cover all expenses. But the news was grim: the bullet had lodged in her brain, leaving her permanently impaired. Even amid the chaos of war, Hitler made arrangements to have her transported safely across enemy lines, back to England. There, she spent her remaining years under the care of her estranged family. She never fully recovered—and nine years later, she died of meningitis, a complication from the bullet wound that had never healed. The 'Perfect Wife' Who Died Together In Love Eva Braun. The name must ring a bell. She was the one who married Hitler in a bunker while Soviet soldiers approached Berlin. Shortly after their vows, they both ended their life. According to Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, Braun did not want to live in a world without Hitler. So, when she had the chance to escape, she chose not to. She has completely, woefully, fatefully devoted herself for him. She was only 17 when she met him through her employer Henrick Hoffmann, who was the official photographer of the Nazi Party. This was also the same time when Hitler was involved with Raubel, and Braun of course envied her. Angela Lamber, author of The Lost Life of Eva Braun, writes that it was a failed suicide attempt in 1931 that drew Hitler's attention to Braun. However, historians often disagree with this interpretation. As per Peter Longerich, who wrote Hitler: A Biography, he chose Braun to stop rumors and gossips around him. While Carmencita von Wrede, a Bavarian noblewoman and a close friend of Hitler said he preferred Braun because he saw himself in her, especially for someone who comes from a 'lower-class'. Also, Braun was uneducated and disinterested in politics, so there were never conflicts of interest. It would set Hitler free, notes Reinhard Spitzy, an SS officer who met Braun on several occasions. Spitzy also notes that Hitler always wanted a 'traditional housewife, who cooked and cleaned for him', instead of “woman who would discuss with him political questions or who would try to have her influence […] Eva Braun didn’t interfere in politics.” Even as Hitler’s main partner, Eva Braun’s role in his life was confined entirely to the private sphere. She lived tucked away at the Berghof, passing time with swimming and skiing, all while waiting—often anxiously—for him to return from Berlin. But when he did come, their reunions were far from romantic. His visits were brief and distracted, and the lack of attention would often spark tense arguments. These clashes typically ended with Braun in tears and Hitler shouting, leaving their already lopsided relationship even more frayed.