Figure 1.--

Hitler gave Reichmarschal Göring enormous economic powers. Göring in the run up to the War increased weapons production, but primarily by increasing allocations. He did not make any major changes to prepare for a long war of attrition. And Hitler in the glow of the great victories in the West began to dismantle important weapons programs. This changed when Barbarossa failed to destroy the Red Army and the Wehrmacht not only found itself mired in a long life-and-death struggle in the East, but Hitler added the United States with its huge industrial power to Germany's expanding list of unconquered adversaries. Hitler as the War began to go against Germany realised that major steps were needed to increase arms profuction. He turned to Albert Speerr, making him, Minister of Armaments (1942) and subsequently gave him authority to fundamentally rationalize the German war economy (1943). Speer became with his appointment as Armaments Minister, the single most important figure in the NAZI war effot. He proceeded to make administrative changes that greatly increased thefficency of the German war economy. Had these cahanges been made earlier, Germany may well agve succeeded in the East. As it was, the cahanges kept German field armies supplied duringbtghe second half of the War. Germany had a smaller resorceand industrial base than all the contries the Führer decided to make war against. Having taken on the Soviet Union and America while still at war with Britain, there was no way that Germany could match the material output of its adversaries. Not only did Germany face an Allied coaltion with geater capabilities, but Germany's more limited industrial capacity was being poorly used. Speer did make needed changes that allowed Germany to increase production and maintain it untill late-1944 despite battlefield defeats and the massive Allied strategic bombing campaign. Speer had enormous power, but of course was subbordinate to the Führer. NAZI Gaulitiers would go around him to get authorization from Hitler for pet projects. And Hitler did not share Speer's views on labor policy. Speer backed the the appointment of SS-Gruppenführer Karl Hanke, Gauleiter of Lower Silesia, as a labor director. Hanke was apparently willing to expand the use of German labor with policies like increasing the use of women in the work force. Hitler influence by Martin Bormann who often opposed Speer, decude on Fritz Sauckel. Sauckel rejected the widespread use of German women and rather turned to forced and slkave labior from the occupied East. Brutak methods were used to seize them because few volunteered and their working condituins were often even more harrowing, Speer kept production going in the face of spiraling German reverses and the Allied strategic bombing. By this time Speer became Armaments Minister, German production was increasingly dependent on forced and slave-labor. This meant that Speer became personally involved with slave labor, the extent of his involvement he managed to hide after the War at the Nuremberg IMT Trials. Many World War II experts credit him for keeping Germany in the War for 1-2 years longer than would have otherwise have been possible. This meant as a result, the death of hundreds of thousands, probably more than a million people and widespread destruction of Germany and occupied countries. Ironically, Speer had a more significant impact on the War than the more ideolically committed top NAZIs. As far as I know, he was not involved in the Holocaust. It is unclear how much he knew, but in his memoirs he made it clear that he chose not to know. [Speer, p. ] His arrest and trial as a war criminal relates to the heavy use of slave labor brutalized by the NAZI state, especially the SS, to keep the German war machine going. the death of hundreds of thousands, probably more than a million people and widespread destruction of Germany and occupied countries. Ironically, Speer had a more significant impact on the War than the more ideolically committed top NAZIs. As far as I know, he was not involved in the Holocaust. It is unclear how much he knew, but in his memoirs he made it clear that he chose not to know. [Speer, p. ] His arrest and trial as a war criminal relates to the heavy use of slave labor brutalized by the NAZI state, especially the SS, to keep the German war machine going.

Göring Four Year Plan (1936-40)

NAZI Armaments Policies

And Hitler in the glow of the great victories in the West began to dismantle important weapons programs. The jet program was cut back because Hitler did not believe it could produce effective aircraft in time for the decisive battles of the War, Hitler and the Germans, including many in the West assumed the fall of France (June 1940) meant that the Germans had won the War. Many believed that Britain would be forced to capitualate as well. The significance of the British victory in the Battle of Britain (July-September 1940) was not fully preceived by the Germans. And the stupendous German victories at the onset of Barbarossa (June 1941) seemed to confirm the belief that the Germans had won the War.

Failure of Barbarossa

Hitler's outlook on armaments changed with the failure of Barbarossa (December 1941). Not only did the Whermaht fail to destroy the Red Army, but in the Red Army counter-offenmsive before Moscow, the Wehermach lost large numbers of maen and enormous quantities of equipment and supplies. And the Whermacht found itself not only mired in a long life-and-death struggle in the East, but Hitler added the United States with its huge industrial power to Germany's expanding list of unconquered adversaries.

Appointment of Speer (1942)

Hitler as the War began to go against Germany realised that major steps were needed to increase arms production. He turned to Albert Speerr, making him, Minister of Armaments (February 1942) and subsequently gave him authority to fundamentally rationalize the German war economy. Speer became with his appointment as Armaments Minister, the single most important figure in the NAZI war effot. He proceeded to make administrative changes that greatly increased thefficency of the German war economy. Had these cahanges been made earlier, Germany may well have succeeded in the East. As it was, the changes kept German field armies supplied during the second half of the War. Germany had a smaller resorceand industrial base than all the contries the Führer decided to make war against. Having taken on the Soviet Union and America while still at war with Britain, there was no way that Germany could match the material output of its adversaries. Not only did Germany face an Allied coaltion with geater capabilities, but Germany's more limited industrial capacity was being poorly used. Speer did make needed changes that allowed Germany to increase production and maintain it untill late-1944 despite battlefield defeats and the massive Allied strategic bombing campaign. Speer had enormous power, but of course was subbordinate to the Führer. NAZI Gaulitiers would go around him to get authorization from Hitler for pet projects. And Hitler did not share Speer's views on labor policy. Speer backed the the appointment of SS-Gruppenführer Karl Hanke, Gauleiter of Lower Silesia, as a labor director. Hanke was apparently willing to expand the use of German labor with policies like increasing the use of women in the work force. Hitler influence by Martin Bormann who often opposed Speer, decude on Fritz Sauckel. Sauckel rejected the widespread use of German women and rather turned to forced and slkave labior from the occupied East. Brutak methods were used to seize them because few volunteered and their working condituins wee often even more harrowing, Speer kept production going in the face of spiraling German reverses and the Allied strategic bombing. By this time Speer became Armaments Minister, German production was increasingly dependent on forced and slave-labor. This meant that Speer became personally involved with slave labor, the extent of his involvement he managed to hide after the War at the Nuremberg IMT Trials. Many World War II experts credit him for keeping Germany in the War for 1-2 years longer than would have otherwise have been possible. This meant as a result, the death of hundreds of thousands, probably more than a million people and widespread destruction of Germany and occupied countries. Ironically, Speer had a more significant impact on the War than the more ideolically committed top NAZIs.

The Holocaust

Speer was not an anti-Semite. That of course did not mean that he could not have been part of the Holacaust. Many career-minded Germans saw that tghere were definite careeer advantages to participating in the NAZI campaign against the Jews. As far as we know, however, he was not directly involved in the Holocaust. It is unclear how much he knew, but in his memoirs he made it clear that he chose not to know. [Speer, p. ] He had Jewish friends before Hitler took power, as Many Germans did. We do not know if he took any steps to aid them after Hitler took power.

Nuremberg IMT Trials

Speer's arrest and trial as a war criminal relates to the heavy use of slave labor brutalized by the NAZI state, especially the SS, to keep the German war machine going. the death of hundreds of thousands, probably more than a million people and widespread destruction of Germany and occupied countries. Ironically, Speer had a more significant impact on the War than the more ideolically committed top NAZIs. As far as I know, he was not involved in the Holocaust. It is unclear how much he knew, but in his memoirs he made it clear that he chose not to know. [Speer, p. ] His arrest and trial as a war criminal relates to the heavy use of slave labor brutalized by the NAZI state, especially the SS, to keep the German war machine going.

Sources

Speer, Albert. Inside the Third Reich (Avon, New York, 1970), 734p.

Created: 6:06 PM 8/17/2013
Last updated: 12:15 AM 2/21/2014