Albert Speer

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how, out of all the Nazi leaders aligned with Adolph Hitler, Albert Speer stands out as one of the greatest mysteries. It attempts to discover how such a refined, well-educated man, from such a good background, ended up as second-in-command to one of the century's most abusive and tyrannical despots. Through a review of his autobiography, "Inside the Third Reich: Memoirs", it shows how, although he was born to a wealthy family, well-educated, son of a respected architect, and trained as an architect, Speer seems a tremendous misfit when compared to the army private who terrorized the entire Western world for more than decade.

From the Paper:

"Speer acknowledged that he quickly came to accept events that most people would have been appalled by. Early in Speer's new career, Hitler ordered Speer to remodel a building immediately. One official by the name of Papen asked for a few months' time, and Speer reported this back to Hitler. Hitler was enraged, so Speer began one of Papen's assistants had been executed in his office. Speer, supervising the renovations, saw the blood on the floor, but was strangely unmoved by the sight. This suggests to the reader that it wasn't really much of a stretch for Speer to accept what many people would have found entirely unacceptable. Nevertheless, the irresistible draw the architectural opportunities had for him clearly were immense."

More papers on Albert Speer:

• Book Review # 49689 : "Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth"
• Essay # 43959 : "Architecture of Albert Speer"
• Essay # 21846 : "Albert Speer"

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