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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). 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 1 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 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? 2