Paul Joseph Goebbels was born on 29 October 1897 in Rheydt, Germany. He was the son of Fritz Goebbels, a factory clerk, and Katharina Maria Odenhausen. Goebbels had a deformed right foot due to a congenital disorder, which affected his mobility and led to his rejection from military service during World War I. He excelled academically, completing his Abitur in 1917 and earning a doctorate in philology from the University of Heidelberg in 1922.Goebbels joined the Nazi Party in 1924 and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Gauleiter of Berlin in 1926. He was instrumental in developing the party's propaganda strategies, utilizing emerging media such as radio and film. After the Nazis came to power in 1933, he was appointed Reich Minister of Propaganda, where he controlled all aspects of German media and culture.In 1943, Goebbels advocated for total war measures, which included conscripting women into the workforce and increasing military enlistment. He was appointed Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War in July 1944, but his efforts to mobilize the economy for war were largely unsuccessful.As World War II neared its end, Goebbels remained in Berlin with his family. Following Hitler's suicide on 30 April 1945, Goebbels briefly assumed the role of Chancellor of Germany, serving for only one day. On 1 May 1945, he and his wife, Magda, committed suicide after poisoning their six children with cyanide.