Albert Speer (19 Mar. 1905 - 1 Sep. 1981)
Albert Speer was an architect, much favoured by Hitler, and who dreamed of redesigning Berlin. When the war began, he supported Hitler entirely, giving over his workers to the Wehrmacht. He worked further at his designs for Berlin and Nürnberg. He further helped in the construction of Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht buildings. He was banned from visiting Moscow and when Operation Barbarossa began, Speer saw his dreams of a new Berlin crumble.
Speer became armaments minister in 1942, following the death of the former one. He took control over the war economy, and specialised factories and the developments of armaments. He had wide success and in 1943 it was believed he could be an heir to Hitler. However, Speer’s plans were overruled by Hitler, such as employment of women and halt of peacetime construction projects.
When he visited the Mittelwerk V-2 rocket plant, he was appalled by conditions of slave labour there. Although he did not stop the use of concentration camp labour, he ordered the construction of Dora camp to improve conditions. He later stated he felt “personal guilt [. . .] whenever I think of [the workers]”.
Despite Allied bombing, Speer was able to ensure that armaments production doubled through 1943, of both tanks and submarines. At the beginning of 1944 he became ill, being absent for almost three months, allowing a power vacuum to open up, which was exploited by Bormann and Himmler. He resigned in a letter to Hitler, though he was later convinced not to, after construction responsibility was taken from him. Hitler agreed to restore his powers if he returned.
He was not a member of the July 20 plot, though his name was on a list of people “to be won over”. In 1945, Hitler commanded a scorched earth policy be implemented. Speer would convince the Führer to give him responsibility for its implementation, and then set about convincing the military to ignore it. He visited the Führerbunker in April, as well as the Chancellery, before leaving for Hamburg. Upon Hitler’s suicide, Speer joined the Flensburg Government of Dönitz, and was arrested in May.
For more information on Albert Speer:
Van der Vart, Dan. The Good Nazi: The Life and Lies of Albert Speer (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson), 1997.
Speer became armaments minister in 1942, following the death of the former one. He took control over the war economy, and specialised factories and the developments of armaments. He had wide success and in 1943 it was believed he could be an heir to Hitler. However, Speer’s plans were overruled by Hitler, such as employment of women and halt of peacetime construction projects.
When he visited the Mittelwerk V-2 rocket plant, he was appalled by conditions of slave labour there. Although he did not stop the use of concentration camp labour, he ordered the construction of Dora camp to improve conditions. He later stated he felt “personal guilt [. . .] whenever I think of [the workers]”.
Despite Allied bombing, Speer was able to ensure that armaments production doubled through 1943, of both tanks and submarines. At the beginning of 1944 he became ill, being absent for almost three months, allowing a power vacuum to open up, which was exploited by Bormann and Himmler. He resigned in a letter to Hitler, though he was later convinced not to, after construction responsibility was taken from him. Hitler agreed to restore his powers if he returned.
He was not a member of the July 20 plot, though his name was on a list of people “to be won over”. In 1945, Hitler commanded a scorched earth policy be implemented. Speer would convince the Führer to give him responsibility for its implementation, and then set about convincing the military to ignore it. He visited the Führerbunker in April, as well as the Chancellery, before leaving for Hamburg. Upon Hitler’s suicide, Speer joined the Flensburg Government of Dönitz, and was arrested in May.
For more information on Albert Speer:
Van der Vart, Dan. The Good Nazi: The Life and Lies of Albert Speer (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson), 1997.