4. Evaluation: for e.g., the ‘Good Nazi’?

Question 1

what were Speer’s action impact?

Answer 1

oblivious to them or not, were destructive nationally as well as internationally.

Question 2

what did he explain at trial?

Answer 2

explained that he tried to maximize Germany’s war potential, but not criminal act as same as others

Question 3

his argument at trial was that?

Answer 3

procurement of labor was none of his business and made no enquiries about how it was done, denied responsibility for conditions of workers

Question 4

what did Soviet prosecutor believe?

Answer 4

Soviet prosecutor not happy, argued he knew how foreign labourers obtained and that he was responsible for abduction of millions

Question 5

American prosecutors POV?

Answer 5

American prosecutor, Justice Robert Jackson stated atleast Speer stopped ‘scorched earth’ policy

Question 6

what kind of suspicions existed about his actions in trial?

Answer 6

Suspicions that Speer made deal to spare his life with American prosecutor (cross examination done by him)

Question 7

sentenced to how many years in prison?

Answer 7

20

Question 8

Taking a negative stance towards Speer’s character, it is evident that?

Answer 8

that even if he did not know about the ‘final solution’, his detrimental actions led to more deaths through his forced labour, affecting the world on a global scale

Question 9

Historiography: Schmidt view?

Answer 9

represents Speer as ambitious and career driven. He argues that Speer altered his character and ‘story’ in order to suit his situation. He was more of a ‘skilled manipulator’ who was focused on self-gain.

Question 10

Historiography: Van der Vat?

Answer 10

extremely critical of Speer
argues that his infatuation with personal success led him to manipulate the representation of himself post-war.
He was well aware of his position of guilt and operated as ‘ignorant’ as a means of survival

Question 11

Historiography: Galbraith?

Answer 11

drew the conclusion that even before Nuremberg, Speer “was a very intelligent escapist from the truth”. According to Galbraith, this is when the myth of Speer as the apolitical technocrat first developed

Question 12

Historiography: Bullock?

Answer 12

praise Speer’s performance at the Nuremberg Trials and were convinced that Speer had told the truth

Question 13

Historiography: British academic Trevor-Roper describes him as?

Answer 13

the ‘penitent Nazi’