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Speer’s Rise in the Nazi Party Essay

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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 …show more content…

Upon its success Speer was further commissioned in March 1933 to modernise the interior of the Ministry of Propaganda, headed by Joseph Goebbels. Although only small, these commissioned allowed Speer to impress the Nazi leaders, with both his architectural and managerial prowess.

Albert Speer’s organisation of the May Day Rally at Tempelhof airfield in 1933 was a major development in his rise within the Nazi Party, as his staging was a stunning success, pleasing Hitler. Speer encircled the field with a ring of search lights, projecting light thousands on meters into the sky in what became known as the ‘cathedral of ice’, a setting that was complimented by huge Nazi and German flags as a backdrop. Subsequently, Speer was appointed the position of Commissioner for the Artistic and Technical Presentation of the Party Rallies and Demonstrations, and fundamental in designing the backdrop of the August 1933 Nuremberg Rally. His golden spreadeagle design required the personal approval of the Fuhrer, which was Speer first, but brief meeting with Hitler. As Speer’s successes compounded, he was then commissioned to assist in the refurbishment of the Chancellor’s residence in Berlin, where he was virtually meeting with Hitler on a daily basis. The two men’s shared passion of architecture allowed Speer to establish a personal relationship with Hitler,

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