From the BBC obituary of Helmut Schmidt: Born in a tough, working-class district of Hamburg in 1918, Helmut Schmidt spent his early years in a Germany wracked by political, economic and social strife. Aged 14 when the Nazi Party came to power, he became a group leader in the Hitler Youth, joined the German army in 1937 and, during World War II, saw action on both the eastern and western fronts. Promoted to first lieutenant and recipient of an Iron Cross, Helmut Schmidt was captured by the British after the Battle of the Bulge in the winter of 1944-45. While in captivity, fellow prisoners of war convinced him to become a Social Democrat. Joining the party on demobilisation in 1946, he progressed effortlessly through its ranks. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34778565
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