Hubris is a case of excessive pride that goes horribly wrong. It has a very negative connotation, and is only really applied to the past. An example of hubris would be the German offensive into the Soviet Union in WWII despite a cease-fire pact with them. Hitler thought that his mighty army, which had been so successful so far, could easily conquer the U.S.S.R. before the winter arrived. Hitler's pride in his army was excessive though, and the German Army became embroiled in bitter winter fighting, the worst of which occurred in the city of Stalingrad on the river Volga. The Germans lost millions of troops attacking Russia and their momentum. Most people agree that Hitler's hubris in this instance lost him the war.
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