Download Albert Speer #4

ALBERT SPEER
4. SIGNIFICANCE AND EVALUATION
RELATIONSHIP WITH HITLER
Speer suggested that he and Hitler had developed such a close relationship because:
1) Hitler always wanted to be an architect – “How I wish I had been an architect”
o Hitler was projecting onto him his own “youthful dreams of being an
architect” (Speer, Inside the 3rd Reich).
o Hitler often borrowed T-squares and a drawing bard to draw the designs he
wished to build
o In the 1920s, before having become part of politics, Hitler had already
developed his master plan for Berlin – a meeting hall 5X the size of St. Peters
Sq. Basilica, and Arch of Triumph greater than Paris.
o When Speer arrived with a new set of plans, Hitler would stop what he was
doing and spend hours going over the plans. At one point one of Hitler’s
secretary’s asked Speer not to bring the plans over without warning as “The
Fuhrer didn’t close an eye last night, he was so excited”.
o Hitler also needed “someone young” to “continue these plans after [Hitler’s]
death…I saw [Speer] as than man”.
2) Hitler felt he could confide in Speer, unlike his politicians Boring and Hess who he
felt suspicious of due to their own competing, ambitious agendas. Speer joined the
party in 1931; those who joined after 1933 were regarded as 2nd class members who
had only joined to advance their careers.
3) Speer was also young, and did not have a high professional reputation, so Hitler did
not feel inferior to him. Hitler seldom had people of a high intellectual standard
around him, as he did not “feel at ease” with them.
“I have the warmest relationships with him because I understand him so well…like me he’s
an architect…intelligent and modest…unlike those bull headed military men. He has great
gifts as an organizer…he’s on top of his work…he always gives [constructive criticism]
whether his ideas are feasible, or not – he’s honest”.
As a result, Hitler felt he could entrust, and confide within Speer his grand, architectural
wishes for the future, that could be carried out after his death.
INVOLVEMENT WITH ANTI-SEMITIC ACTIVITIES (GERMANIA PROJECT THE QUESTION OF THE JEWS FLATS).
USE AND ABUSE OF FROCED LABOUR
 Much of the increase in armament production rested on the exploitation of foreign
workers and prisoners of war.
 Speer claimed that the workers were the responsibility of Fritz Saukel
 Speer stated on numerous occasions for an increase in “foot
rations…sanitation….and health care” for the inmates – but he based these
humanitarian requests not on the basis of improving their conditions – but increasing
productivity figures, as a “healthy worker” is “70%” more efficient that an “unmotivated…wreck” (Dan van der vat).
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Speer said that he did not know of the conditions, and when he visited Mauthasen
Camp near Linz 1943, there were no signs of “barbarity” as the prisoners “looked
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healthy”. This was because they were only shown the sections that would impress
visitors (Gitta Sereny).
KNOWLEDGE OF, AND LINKS WITH THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS
REACTION TO HITLERS ‘SCORCHED EARTH POLICY’ 1945
SIGNIFICANCE OF SPEER’S WORK AS MINISTER OF ARNAMENTS AND WAR
PRODUCTION TO THE OVERALL GERMAN WAR EFFORT
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Speer’s leadership had a remarkable effect on the German economy, increasing
productivity by 300% between the years 1941 – 1944. He was able to achieve this:
o Employing technical specialists as managers
o And standardization of labor, armaments and resources
Although Speer is has received credit for this success, he attributes the techniques he
adopted, of standardization, and using an assembly line to ensure mass production
and optimum efficiency to the Jewish organizer of the German economy during
WW2 – Walter Rathaneau.
As a result of this, he had prolonged the war, and as a consequence increased the
suffering and the civilian death rate (Mathias Schmidt).
The British historian Allan Bullock commented, “Without Speer, Hitler would have
lacked the power to stage his fight to the finish”. It was Speer who was responsible
for the German economy, over 14 million workers, who patched-up and re-organized
bombed factories”, after the failures of Bormann and the gaulteliers under his
direction.
However, these “miraculous statistics” that promote Speers efficiency could have
taken into account that Speer had himself prepared these figures, and passed them on.
Considering that he had a monopoly over the economy, these are the only statistics
present. (Dan van der vat).
EVALUATION: GOOD OR BAD NAZI?
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