Lingering conspiracy theories surrounding Adolf Hitler's death may have been put to rest, with French scientists saying they have conclusively proved he died in 1945.
The majority of historians believe Hitler committed suicide in his Berlin bunker, and a study published on Friday in the European Journal of Internal Medicine claims to present evidence the Nazi dictator died from taking cyanide and a bullet to the head.
The study examined Hitler's teeth, which were put on display in an exhibition in Moscow in 2000, and appears to back up the widely held view he died on April 30, 1945 with his companion Eva Braun.
The analysis found white tartar deposits and no traces of meat fibre, as Hitler was vegetarian.
It also revealed bluish deposits on his false teeth, an indication of the chemical reaction between cyanide and the metal of his dentures.
The team also looked at a skull fragment, said to be from the German dictator, which showed a hole on the left side in all probability caused by a bullet.
Professor Philippe Charlier, who headed the study, said the teeth were undoubtedly Hitler's and proved he died at the end of World War II.
"We can stop all the conspiracy theories about Hitler. He did not flee to Argentina in a submarine, he is not in a hidden base in Antarctica or on the dark side of the moon," he said.
Historians believe Hitler took his own life as Russian forces closed in during the final stages of the battle for Berlin.
It is believed his body was hastily cremated near his bunker, with the teeth and other fragmentary remains later seized by Russian officials and sent back to Moscow on the orders of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.
