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Modern History Albert Speer

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Modern History Albert Speer
Q1. Provide a detailed description of THREE significant events in the life of the personality you have studied. (10 marks)

Albert Speer was born on the 19th of March 1905. His family was very well off compared to the general population and their social status demanded an adherence to social conventions and formality. As a student and early adult, Speer was very apolitical however leaned towards the communism. Speer was first introduced to Nazism in 1930 where he was first inspired by Hitler’s oratory skills. Speer became a member of the Nazi Party on March the 1st 1931 with the membership number 474,481. From this point Speer was provided with many opportunities within the party, specifically in architecture, Hitler was especially impressed by Speer’s early work and later made him Armaments Minister. At the end of World War II, Speer along with other leading Nazi’s were put on trial by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, known as The Nuremberg Trials, where many Nazi leaders were sentenced to death or imprisoned as Speer was in Spandau for extended periods of time. Each of these were significant events in the life of Albert Speer who died in 1981.

In 1934, Speers predecessor Troost died, suspicious circumstances and at the age of 29, Albert Speer was appointed Hitler’s chief architect. After doing early work for the Nazi Party in the form of the redecoration and rebuilding of Goebbels’ headquarters, Hitler was impressed by his ability, interest in grandeur and good organisation skills. Once appointed as the First Architect of the Reich, Speer played an important role in propaganda. The 1934 Nuremberg Rally was an important project for Speer, which was filmed by Leni Riefenstahl and his work was displayed in her film, “The Triumph of the Will.” After his success of the rallies at Nuremberg, Hitler ordered an expansion on the parade grounds and Speer was placed as head architect, this was an important project for Speer as Nuremberg was viewed as “The

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