Outline the main events in the career of Albert Speer from 1931-1945

Albert Speer

a) Outline the main events in the career of Albert Speer from 1931-1945

Albert Speer, a very talented architect was Hitler’s architect in the preceding years and during the Second World War. He was later promoted to very influential positions in Germany regarding the economy as a whole and was vital to Germanys war production and design, which resulted in a close friendship between him and the Nazi leader Adolph Hitler.

Late in 1930, a certified architect of 3 years, Speer first heard Hitler speak at a beer hall, was impressed with the leader and what he had said and early 1931 he enthusiastically joined the NSDAP, later known as the Nazi Party. As an automobile owner, he was hired to drive Hitler around Berlin in 1932. Doing such a good job, after Hitler's electoral triumph of Chancellor on March 5, 1933, Speer moved to Berlin as he had been offered more work from Goebbels, to design his office. During the same year Speer created the “cathedral of lights” for the May Day Rally at Tempelhoff Airport. His talent and efficient ability as an architect was quickly recognized in the design of these two projects and soon he came to the attention of party leader, Hitler who was sincerely impressed by Speer and his work.

Later in 1933 Speer was hired to be a supervisor of the redesign of Hitler’s residence in Berlin. It was after the successful inspection that Hitler invited Speer to attend a dinner with him. It was the first movement of Speer into Hitler’s inner circle. It was at this dinner that personal questions were asked and the two men established the beginning of a strong relationship that was to follow. Hitler also had a life long interest in architecture and art which was a bonding factor in the strong relationship that formed between the two men, “for whom he had long had a deep affection and whom he regarded me as fellow artist.” (Speer, 1995 pg 465) Speer soon became Hitler’s personal architect. Because of the same burning interest for architecture Speer became one of Hitler's best friends. The men were able to reach this closeness, as Spear didn’t have a thirst for power or political intentions like many of the other party members.

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It was during the design and building of the barrack camps for the men of the autobahn, that Speer and Hitler developed an increasing intimacy as they spent lunches and dinners together in their tightly knit circle of important men. ‘A close relationship had become established between us, and I counted on profiting, humanly and artistically, from it.” (Speer, pg 89,1995) In 1934 he was rewarded with his first of many important commissions, the design of the huge parade grounds, searchlights, and banners of the spectacular Nuremberg Rally which was such an enormous success it was filmed by Leni Riefenstahl in Triumph of the Will. "I felt myself to be Hitler's architect. Political events did not concern me. My job was merely to provide impressive backdrops for such events.” (Speer, 1995 pg 116,) In 1936 Speer designed the German pavilion for the World Fair held in Paris in 1937.

In 1937 peer was appointed to the position of Inspector General of Construction for the Reich Capital, a senior public servant answerable to Hitler. During this year he was assigned to design and build the new Reich Chancellery. The project was huge but Speer demonstrated his excessive design and organization skills and had built the new chancellery on deadline and in magnificence, and again impressed Hitler greatly. In the same year Speer moved his family to Obersalzburg, the alpine retreat village in which Hitler and members of his inner circle lived. He visited Hitler once or twice a week for dinner and was increasingly deserting his family for the service of Hitler. In 1938, he was awarded the Nazi Golden Party Badge of Honour.

Speer continued to design for Hitler up until 1942, During this time Speer proved that he was not only a talented architect but also a great organizer and as a result he was also given the task of redesigning Berlin, to be the finest and most important city in all of Europe, set to be completed in the early 1950's but the work was finally halted by the war. The relationship between Speer and Hitler continued to develop during these years and the two men became very close, and a deep mutual respect resulted from the men spending a great deal of time together discussing and designing projects. In 1942, at age 37 Speer had proved himself to be a highly efficient organizer, and was appointed Minister for Armaments and Munitions, succeeding the engineer Doctor Fritz Todt. Speer revealed outstanding managerial skills Speer’s administrative acumen and dedication to work, which resulted in dramatic results for Germany.

In 1943 his responsibilities were added to when his title was enlarged to Minister of Armaments and War Production, which gave him responsibility for armaments production, transportation and placement, and final authority over raw materials and industrial production. During this time production in Germany peaked and Speer proved to be an essential factor that boosted Germany’s fighting abilities by mobilizing German’s industry, although conscription and slave labour from concentration camps was largely used. During the year he realised that the war was inevitably lost but he continued to promote industry and continue to increase production when in 1944 Germany’s economic and armaments production reached its wartime peak despite being under heavy allied bombing.

On January 30th 1944 Speer drew up a memorandum for Hitler, “the war is lost” he began and went on to explain why. Speer worked against Hitler’s ‘Scorched-earth policy’, which aimed to destroy the German people, drag the entire country into the inferno with him. Speer decided to murder Hitler, poison him through the air conditioning, but later changed his mind. “Speer hoped to wipe out the entire Nazi leadership of the Third Reich as well as the high Command.”(Shirer, 1987, pg 278) On April 23 Speer had come to say farewell to the leader and to confess to him that his public duty called on him to make a decision despite personal relationships, and forced him to sabotage the Fuhrers scorched earth policy. Speer did what he could to save bridges, factories and other installations vital to survival

In 1945 Speer was captured by American troops and was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for his war crimes during the Second World War, and lived as a writer until 1981. During the years 1932-45 Speer proved to be a very talented man in design and organization, resulting in a strong relationship with Hitler, amazing improvements in Germanys production until was forced to desert his friendship for his personal morals. Speer proved to be one of the most important and influential men on Hitler, the German war effort and the economy as a whole.