It's unknown when Adolf Hitler adopted a vegetarian diet, as there are reports which indicate that he ate meat at the age of 48, in 1937. By 1938 Hitler's public image as a vegetarian was already being fostered and from 1942 he self-identified as a vegetarian. People who knew him indicate that meat was not a part of Hitler's diet during that period. The exact reasons why Hitler became a strict vegetarian are unknown, but there are several theories. Some modern day analysis has supposed that Hitler's vegetarianism may have been due to Richard Wagner's historical theories, or even a psychological reaction to his niece's death rather than a commitment to animal welfare. On the other had, there are reports that Hitler was often distressed by images of animal suffering, as well as being an antivivisectionist.

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