Albert Speer – rise to prominence Albert Speer was a significant figure in German history due to his various architectural projects and his appointment as Minister for Armaments. Although he claimed to be apolitical, Speer joined the Nationalist Social party on March 1st, 1931 and from they’re his career in the Nazi party prospered. Speer’s first contribution to the Nazi party was as a chauffer, as district head of the Nazi Motorist League, where he met Karl Hanke. A recommendation by Hanke to Goebbels, gave Speer his first architectural assignment of decorating Goebbels headquarters in Berlin. Hitler approved the finished result, however Goebbels did not like its simplicity and had it redecorated.
-Stresemann altered the policies with the introduction of Dawes plan and the young plan. - Germany was able to meet its reparation payments and the French left the area of Ruhr in 1924. The failures can be seen through the flaws in the constitution, political parties, economic failures the lack of support towards the republic. •The new parliament met in February 1919 and drew up a constitution that established Germany as a democracy. •It was a constitution that would preserve German democracy, liberties and rights of the people.
POLITICAL Successes: Creating a democracy out of the ashes of defeat and the threat of Revolution in 1918/19 Creating a modern democratic constitution with explicit freedoms, PR, female suffrage and an elected Presidency. Eyck called it “an experiment in liberal, parliamentary democracy” Surviving the revolutionary period of 1918-19 and the hyperinflation crisis of 1923. Creating the stability and foreign policy successes of the ‘Golden Years’ (1924-1929) Henig - remember how fractured German society was – social class, region, age Failures: The ‘Ersatz Kaiser’ - Article 48 gave the President emergency powers. This was used extensively by Hindenburg after 1930. PR allowed small parties like the NSDAP in the 1920s, to thrive.
Speer gained a reputation from this commission as not only a creative architect but also an efficient organiser. In July 1933, Speer was given the job as a decorator for the Nazi party Rally at Nuremburg. This job was when his work was recognised by Hitler and it reflected his view of the Nazi party through his propaganda. The Reich Chancellery that was built in 1938-39 was one of the most significant jobs Speer had done because there was a lot of work to be done with the time limit set; one year. However, Speer finished it within a year again proving his organisational and efficiency skills which led to his appointment as Reich Minister for Armaments in 1942.
These factors caused the loss of public support for the grand coalition of the Weimar Republic and the German people subsequently looked for a new style of leadership. Therefore it was these reasons, rather than just being the leader of the most popular Party in Germany, that allowed Hitler to become Chancellor. The Nazi Party underwent a huge reorganisation which was overseen by their leader Adolf Hitler, in December 1924. The reorganisation aimed to get the Nazi Party more influence in different aspects of German society and by doing so, gain the Party more voters. Hitler began the reorganization of the Nazi Party by constructing a network of local Party organizations such
1) ‘ The views of J.M. Keynes were the most important factor in explaining Britain’s treatment of Germany in the years following the Treaty of Versailles until 1929.’ Explain why you agree or disagree with this view. (24 marks) John Maynard Keynes, an economist and financial representative for the Treasury during the Treaty of Versailles of 1929, held bold and influential views about the treatment of Germany. The question is, how powerful were these views in affecting the actions and policies of the British government towards Germany in the years which followed? When Keynes rejected the scale of reparations placed on Germany and resigned from his post at the Treasury, he lead the way for what many leading politicians were to understand later on.
Albert Speer was the infamous architect whom served Adolf Hitler from 1933. He has been called many names, most famously ‘The Good Nazi’. Albert Speer was born on the 19th of March, 1905 in Mannheim. Both his grandfather and father worked as architects and his family was a quite wealthy, upper middle class family. He was born near the French-German border and lived a childhood of privilege and material affluence.
Kurt Weill (1900 – 1950) was symbiotic with German theatre culture. His famous “Threepenny Opera” which included the song “Mack the Knife” where respectable citizens were seen as villains and criminals and prostitutes were hero worshipped, is still popular today. Berlin was an important centre for world cinema. The most famous film of the time was called “The Blue Angel” whose Director was of course Jewish – Josef von Sternberg. It is clear therefore that cultural life in Germany was driven forward by Jews.
In France, the conservative National Bloc mvmt sought to use German reparations to rebuild, was forced to raise taxes, then Cartel of the Left which was a coalition gvmt formed by two French Leftist Parties 8. Scandinavian countries had Social Democratic mvmts that encouraged the development of rural and industrial cooperative enterprises. They gvmts expanded social services and increase old age pensions and unemployment insurance 9. Fascism took over the government with the help of Benito Mussolini who used the march of Rome to become the prime minister 10. He was an unruly and rebellious child who ultimately received a diploma as an elementary teacher, but was unsuccessful, then he became socialist and gradually a well known person, then an editor at Avanti, wanted to intervene in WWI so he was thrown out of socialist party, then made his own party called the League of Combat 11.
Albert Speer was with no uncertainty a significant figure and member within the Nationalist Socialist Party who contributed a noteworthy amount to Nazi ideology and practice. His influence however within the Nazi Party grew as time went on holding key positions such as Hitler's architect, Head of German Labour Front and Minister for Armaments and Munitions from 8 February 1942 among other tasks. At this position Speer had substantial power and was also said to be the second most powerful man in the Third Reich after Hitler. In 1934 Speer became the ˜First Architect of the Reich,' before this however he had menial tasks such as renovating the Gauhaus in Berlin and organising a backdrop for the May Day rally at the Templehof airfield in Berlin