ALBERT SPEERHISTORICAL CONTEXT

RISE OF THE NAZI PARTY

Nazi party started by Hitler – 1921

New Nazi constitution

Attempted overthrow of government – Munich (Beer Hall) Putsch – 8 November, 1923

Hitler jailed

Writing of Mein Kampf

Beginning of the attempt to be voted into power.

By 1932 – Nazi party largest party in Reichstag

1933 – Hitler Chancellor

chancellor Reichstag fire

Enabling Act

Night of the Long Knives

Death of Hindenburg

Oath by Armed forces

Fuhrer

DEVELOPMENT OF THE NAZI STATE AFTER 1933

Fear

Women

Youth Education

Repression

Racial Policies

Foreign Policy

Work and Unemploye

d

Leisure

Propaganda

PERSONAL CHARISMA OF ADOLF HITLER

“[There is]…the tendency of human societies to single out certain individuals and place them in positions of authority, and to find justifications for doing so.(Lipman – The Allure of Toxic Leaders)

It was all due to the faith of one man! Yes, you who called us godless, we found our faith in Adolf Hitler, and through him found God once again. That is the greatness of our day, that is our good fortune!

(German Propaganda Archive)

In Upper Bavaria 'unreserved recognition for the energy, cleverness, and courage of the Fuhrer could reportedly be heard everywhere. (Kershaw)

After 1934 he was seen as the upholder of public morality, cleansing public life of the dissolute immorality and corruption of the SA leaders. (Kershaw)

Many genuinely believed that matters, especially if unpalatable, were deliberately kept from Hitler, and that if he learned of them he would act swiftly to set things right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hEzs7x5aEM

Hitler, and Hitler alone, seemed in the end to stand in the eyes of many Germans between them and total annihilation. (Lindner)

He used simple, straightforward language that ordinary people could understand, short sentences, powerful, emotive slogans... There were no qualifications in what he said; everything was absolute, uncompromising, irrevocable, undeviating, unalterable, final. He seemed... to speak straight from the heart, and to express their own deepest fear and desire. (Brooks – The Rise of Nazi Germany)

He speaks his heart, and therefore reaches the hearts of those who hear him. (Goebbels)

Hitler's used systematic image control. Such actions contributed to the personality cult in that they promoted a strong image of Hitler.

CHARISMA OF HITLER Excellent public

speaker Propaganda machine

– he was totally in control of his own image.

Seen by the people as “father”

NAZI WAR EFFORTTO 1945

NUREMBURG TRIALS The Nuremberg Trials

were a series of military tribunals

The first and best known of these trials was the Trial of the Major War Criminals before the International Military Tribunal (IMT), which tried 24 of the most important captured leaders of Nazi Germany, though several key architects of the war (such as Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, and Joseph Goebbels) had committed suicide before the trials began.

The crimes these men were tried for were:

Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of a crime against peace

Planning, initiating and waging wars of aggression and other crimes against peace

War crimes Crimes against

humanity

Speer was found guilty of the last 2 charges and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:1946-10-08_21_Nazi_Chiefs_Guilty.ogv