Survived the Nuremberg trials and wrote a book, possibly the most famous surviving Nazi.
Was he innocent, was he guilty, did he say what the Judges at Nuremberg wanted to hear? Should he have been sent to the Gallows?
i think he is completely guilty, i dont think he is in charge of the german resource department and not know about the concentration camp and how it is being run. Obviously he is actively involve in those camps and tries to think of ways to increase their productivity.
However, what a waste to his talent though, the allied should have used him well instead of putting him in prison.
G’day,
The book:Albert Speer:His Battle With Truth by Gitta Sereny published in 1995 by Picador, ISBN 0-330-34697-0 is a fascinating read on the very subject.
His guilt tortured him for many years. As it should.
Regards to all,
Digger
GUILTY!!! I agree, he must have known what was going on. After all, one of his attributes was being able to plan and execute a project sucessfully. The
only way you can do that is if you have all of the facts, including manpower, which for the germans meant slave labor!
His books give a fascinating inside view of the inner workings of the Third Reich. But his writings also comdemn him, as they prove just how much he knew and how much he was involved.
dgk196
Wocheschau videoclip of A. Speer talking about weapons production in 1942.
Absolutly agree.
This “nazi brilliant guy” was very proud of the his war reform which let to increase the war production despite of allies bombing. Certainly he excellent knew what’s going on. He knew about great death-rate of the East-european slaves in the german plants.
He also was very close to the Hitler - some germans generals consider it as exceeded of limits of normal mens relationship. Speer very supported the national-socialist ideas and race superiority.
Cheers.
Knowing about the final solution and actively participating in its outcome are 2 different things. This is no doubt what the judicary decided in 1948. No my choice but they did what they did.
The guy knew full well what was going on, and he did participate. As leader of the Todt Organisation he used forced labour for many of his designs and the aims of his organisation. This labour being Russian POWs worked to death and other POWs and prisoners that the Nazis didn’t like - Gays, Communists, intellectuals, gypsies, etc. and of course the Jewish.
Short rope, long drop springs to mind.
Guilty!
IMO he was a traitor to the 3rd Riech. Most of the Nuremberg defendents … defended their positon to the end. Hoping to go down as some kind of staints of National Socialism. There was a reason that Speer was among the elite of those to be procecuted at Nuremberg…coz he was a Nazi. Even thou he showed remorse which the others didnt. For the most part. I dont think he should have been hung. However I think the should have spent the rest of his life in prision. He had disagreements with Hitler on issues but none seem to be ones of morality. All the ones ive heard of had to do with infrastrusture. If i were the judge … life in prison. I have more sympathy for Hess than Speer.
Totally guilty. Speer had his arms in slave labor camps run by the Nazis all of Europe.
There is no doubt that Speer was guilty, he admitted it at the trials. He stated in his book that he had heard about the concentration camps but to “never go to one”. He was responsible and was convicted of using forced labor. He was sentenced to twenty years. Was that enough? Most would agree that it was a light sentence. One of the only redeeming things he did was to stop Hitler’s scorched earth policy in Germany toward the end of the war.
Much of his defence seems to have been “my underling was guilty”. That particular underling was hanged after Nuremberg…
In his book, almost everything he says that he didn’t do or isn’t true is a lie.