##NO

There really is no debate on this matter, however much we might try to humanize him. He was a convinced racialist and anti-Semite, who established a totalitarian, single-party state within Germany. He launched a war of naked aggression that embroiled half of the globe, and caused the deaths of millions. He absolutely had knowledge and gave assent to the attempted extermination of the Jewish population in Europe, resulting in their slaughter by the million, both in concentration and extermination camps, as well as by various other means in the east. Earlier economic development in the 1930s that he is at times praised for "if only he didn't start World War II", was a facade, which saw little real improvement for the common German, focusing almost entirely on rearmament and mobilization for the coming war that had been part of his plan from very early on, and was entirely dependent on the expectation of conquest, spending at rates Germany could ill-afford to do, let alone maintain, without conquering and adsorbing the economies of her neighbors. While his generals might play up his misteps, he really was a meddler in military affairs, and especially from 1942 onwards, his attempts to manage strategic concerns had a negative effect on the German war effort.

So look, Hitler isn't a comic book villain, but he really is one of the most abhorrent persons to ever lead a nation, while I don't feel like playing the "What about Stalin!? What about Mao!?" game, he is just about inarguably the worst figure of the 20th century. He was a terrible leader, and his choices were bad for Germany - not just in hind-sight, but at the time - as well as the world as a whole.

Third Reich Trilogy - Richard J. Evans

Wages of Destruction - Adam Tooze

Hitler - Ian Kershaw