I'm doing a research essay on Evaluating the signififcance of Albert Speer's role in promoting and maintaining the Nazi regime 1933 -1945
and i was wondering if anyone knew anythng that would be able to help me in my search for information
Albert Speer's role
Speer's own story is told in "Inside The Third Reich" and contains scatterings of statistics, but it is of course him telling it so read it with that in mind. A more critical effort is Gita Sereny's "Albert Speer: His Battle With The Truth", but that focusses on his culpability regarding the 'final solution' and his use of slave laour.
Basically Speer was a talented organizer who came to Hitler's attention after he rennovated Himmler's new Berlin HQ in record time. His architectural background appealed to Hitler, a frustrated architect himself, and he got as personally close to Hitler as anyone by indulging the Hitler's passion for designing great edifices for the Thousand Year Reich - most of which never materialized. During the war years Speer's abilities to organize were used by Hitler to great effect and he undoubtedly did a great deal to increase war production far beyond what would have been possible under the usual methods of organization in the Third Reich. Speer used his close personal access to Hitler to break through suffocating bureaucracy. He claims not to have been politically effective and not to have known, in any detail, of the mass killings - his prinicpal role was in providing the materials with which the war was waged and probably extended Hitler's ability to fight on far beyond what it might otherwise have been. For this he received a twenty year sentence at Nuremberg. Many people have questioned how much he knew about death camps etc. (see Sereny).
Good hunting,
K.
Basically Speer was a talented organizer who came to Hitler's attention after he rennovated Himmler's new Berlin HQ in record time. His architectural background appealed to Hitler, a frustrated architect himself, and he got as personally close to Hitler as anyone by indulging the Hitler's passion for designing great edifices for the Thousand Year Reich - most of which never materialized. During the war years Speer's abilities to organize were used by Hitler to great effect and he undoubtedly did a great deal to increase war production far beyond what would have been possible under the usual methods of organization in the Third Reich. Speer used his close personal access to Hitler to break through suffocating bureaucracy. He claims not to have been politically effective and not to have known, in any detail, of the mass killings - his prinicpal role was in providing the materials with which the war was waged and probably extended Hitler's ability to fight on far beyond what it might otherwise have been. For this he received a twenty year sentence at Nuremberg. Many people have questioned how much he knew about death camps etc. (see Sereny).
Good hunting,
K.
SPEER
Read a book called "Spandau : The Secret Diaries" written by Speer himself.
Although a lot of the book is a diary about his incarceration it also provides some excellent reflective tales of his involvement and memories of the Reich at its inception, peak and demise.
Book published by Phoenix Press and recently re-released in Aust.
Although a lot of the book is a diary about his incarceration it also provides some excellent reflective tales of his involvement and memories of the Reich at its inception, peak and demise.
Book published by Phoenix Press and recently re-released in Aust.
Speers role
<I'm doing a research essay on Evaluating the signififcance of Albert <Speer's role in promoting and maintaining the Nazi regime 1933 -1945
Hi,
Speer was not a central figure in the Third Reich before the outbreak of the war. He became important first when he was put in charge of the war production. He did a good work in organizing German production effort. You just have to look at the production statistics to see that. How much it was Speers personal contribution that made the difference is hard to say, but after he took charge of the war production there was a clear change to the better (from German point of view).
Speers defence strategy in Nürnberg was clever. He was the only one in the top brass who showed remorse and repent. He was certainly quilty of using forced labour. His involvment to the final solution could not be proven. He said himself that he was not aware of what was going on but that if he had wanted, he could have easily found out. Which I guess means that he had heard enough to actively choose not to find out. Speer has also said that he became intoxicated by power. The latter is easy to believe.
Regards,
Jari
Hi,
Speer was not a central figure in the Third Reich before the outbreak of the war. He became important first when he was put in charge of the war production. He did a good work in organizing German production effort. You just have to look at the production statistics to see that. How much it was Speers personal contribution that made the difference is hard to say, but after he took charge of the war production there was a clear change to the better (from German point of view).
Speers defence strategy in Nürnberg was clever. He was the only one in the top brass who showed remorse and repent. He was certainly quilty of using forced labour. His involvment to the final solution could not be proven. He said himself that he was not aware of what was going on but that if he had wanted, he could have easily found out. Which I guess means that he had heard enough to actively choose not to find out. Speer has also said that he became intoxicated by power. The latter is easy to believe.
Regards,
Jari
speer
This one might interest you - I just started it, "The Good Nazi -
The Life and Lies of Albert Speer" by Dan Van Der Vat.
Borrowed it from the local library here in Melbourne, so you should be able to get it easily.
Cheers, David.
The Life and Lies of Albert Speer" by Dan Van Der Vat.
Borrowed it from the local library here in Melbourne, so you should be able to get it easily.
Cheers, David.