Albert Speer: Apolitical Technocrat Or Skilled Manipulator?
Albert Speer: Apolitical Technocrat or Skilled Manipulator?
Albert Speer was, arguably, the most complicated personality in the prominent Nazi officials. He began his career after joining the Nazi party as an architect; and his friendship with Hitler propelled his promotion to Reich Minister for Armaments and War Production. When Germany lost the war, Speer was one of the few Nazi officials to evade the death sentence. There are two historical viewpoints as to the role of Speer. The first is that Speer was merely a technocrat, with no political views- and this view is created by Speer in his post-war writings, as well as historian Joachim Fest. The second viewpoint, which is more widely believed than the first, is that Speer was a clever man who manipulated the Nazi party, the Nuremburg War Crimes prosecutors and also the world through his books after …show more content…
His defence was this: Speer accepted collective responsibility for Nazi war crimes and crimes against humanity, while simultaneously claiming to have had no knowledge of these atrocities or their details. American economist John Galbraith, who was present at the Nuremburg trials, said “Speer’s confession was part of his well-developed strategy of self-vindication and survival”1. Also, historian Wesley Yang writes that Speer “seduced the Allies with his looks, charm and clever strategy”2. Speer was primarily accused of utilising slave labour in his munitions factories. He distanced himself from his advisor, and the ‘official’ recruiter of the slave labour force, Fritz Sauckel. Sauckel became the scapegoat, and their relationship became very futile. As a result, Speer was sentenced to twenty years in prison, a comparatively light sentence. Film director Martin Davidson conveys in his documentary that “Speer gave the judges what they wanted most, penitence”3. But where did this manipulative nature
Albert Speer was, arguably, the most complicated personality in the prominent Nazi officials. He began his career after joining the Nazi party as an architect; and his friendship with Hitler propelled his promotion to Reich Minister for Armaments and War Production. When Germany lost the war, Speer was one of the few Nazi officials to evade the death sentence. There are two historical viewpoints as to the role of Speer. The first is that Speer was merely a technocrat, with no political views- and this view is created by Speer in his post-war writings, as well as historian Joachim Fest. The second viewpoint, which is more widely believed than the first, is that Speer was a clever man who manipulated the Nazi party, the Nuremburg War Crimes prosecutors and also the world through his books after …show more content…
His defence was this: Speer accepted collective responsibility for Nazi war crimes and crimes against humanity, while simultaneously claiming to have had no knowledge of these atrocities or their details. American economist John Galbraith, who was present at the Nuremburg trials, said “Speer’s confession was part of his well-developed strategy of self-vindication and survival”1. Also, historian Wesley Yang writes that Speer “seduced the Allies with his looks, charm and clever strategy”2. Speer was primarily accused of utilising slave labour in his munitions factories. He distanced himself from his advisor, and the ‘official’ recruiter of the slave labour force, Fritz Sauckel. Sauckel became the scapegoat, and their relationship became very futile. As a result, Speer was sentenced to twenty years in prison, a comparatively light sentence. Film director Martin Davidson conveys in his documentary that “Speer gave the judges what they wanted most, penitence”3. But where did this manipulative nature