Speer’s Rise in the Nazi Party

Speer’s Rise in the Nazi Party

Albert Speer rose from a mere architect to be one of the most

influential Nazi leaders of the Third Reich, and self-admittedly

Hitler’s closest friend. As a young, struggling architect Speer joined

the Nazi Party as a ‘Septemberling’, and subsequently began to design

many of the displays and structures that succeeded in promoting the

Fuhrer Myth. Within the NSDAP Speer progressed to the position of

Minister for Armaments and War Production in 1942, a reward for his

superior managerial skills, and effectively utilised in the Nazi war

effort. However, Speer’s rise in the NSDAP was often degraded by the

members of the ‘old guard’, who thought that he had not earned his

affluent position in Nazi society, but was rather a result of his

friendship with Hitler.

Albert Speer was born on 19th March 1905 into an upper-middle class

family in the German city of Mannheim, and as a result of his families

affluent position in society, they were relatively untouched by the

Second World War. Nevertheless, he was avidly opposed to the war guilt

clause that was encapsulated in the Treaty of Versailles, a view

similarly held by the Nazi Party. After the memorisation of hearing

Hitler speak at a student rally in 1930, he applied to join the Nazi

Party, and on 1st March 1931, Speer became its 474 481st member. At

this time Speer played little part in party affairs, but joined some

small subsidiary Nazi organisations, including the NSKK (motor club).

It was however, his involvement in the Nazi Party that gave him

employment throughout the difficult depression years, after Speer

failed in establishing a private archi...

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... accession to be the second most powerful man in Germany at the

time, after another death lead to his promotion. However, Speer’s

organisation qualities that he had exhibited in his lesser roles made

him the ideal candidate to replace Todt, and remove the inefficiencies

in war production, however, in hindsight it was too late to rescue the

German war effort.

Albert Speer entered the Nazi Party as a young architect in 1930, and

just twelve years later his was one of the most powerful men in

Germany. His rise through the Nazi Party was initially attributed to

the architectural prowess that he demonstrated to Nazi leaders, and

later Hitler, when opportunities presented themselves to him. However,

as Speer became more active in party affairs, his organisational

skills aided him in becoming Minister for Armaments in 1942.