I spent my early life in one country but had my big success in another

I was not my father's only child. He fathered several children with different women.

I became very close to my mother, as my father showed no interest in me.

My mother died at an early age

Although my father deserted me and my mother raised me, I later wrote a book praising my father, not my mother.

Later in life, questions arose over my real name.

My birth records were dubious

I claimed to be a Christian but showed little sign of it

There was another religion I liked, however

I worked and lived among lower-class people as a young adult, disguising myself as someone who really cared about them.

That was before I decided it was time to get serious about my life and embarked on a new career.

I wrote a book about my early struggles

It was clear to those who read my memoirs, that I had difficulties accepting that my father abandoned me as a child.

I became active in small time politics in my 30's until I literally burst onto the scene as a candidate for national office in my 40's.

They said I had a golden tongue and could talk anyone into anything.

I had a virtually non-existent resume, little work history, and no experience in leading a single organization.

Yet I was a powerful speaker and citizens were drawn to me, as though I were a magnet and they were small roofing tacks.

I drew incredibly large crowds during my public appearances.

This bolstered my ego.

At first, my political campaign focused on my country's foreign policy...

I was very critical of my country in the most recent war, and seized every opportunity to bash those who ran my country at that time

But what launched my rise to national prominence were my views on the country's economy.

I pretended to have a really good plan on how we could do better, and every poor person would be fed and housed at minimal cost

I knew which group was responsible for getting my country into a mess. It was the free market, banks and corporations.

I decided to start making citizens hate them and, if they became envious of others who did well, the plan was clinched tight.

I called mine "A People's Campaign".

That sounded good to all people.

I was the surprise candidate because I emerged from outside the traditional path of politics and was able to gain widespread popular support.

I knew that, if I merely offered the people 'hope', together we could change our country and the world.

So, I started to make my speeches sound like they were on behalf of the downtrodden, poor and ignorant and told them they were "persecuted"

My true views were not widely known and I kept them quiet until after I became my nation's leader.

Then I became the most powerful man in the world.

Who am I?

ADOLPH HITLER

Who'd you think it was...?

A version of the above has been circulating on the web for some time but one that includes a number of inaccuracies. It is suggestive but proves nothing, of course

Source unknown.