ALBERT SPEER: THE LAST NAZI (TV)
Summary
This documentary explores the life of Albert Speer, the Nazi party's premier architect, Adolf Hitler's Minister of Armaments, and at the time of this program, the only living link to the hierarchy of Nazi Germany. Host Patrick Watson intersperses World War II era footage from German, Russian, and Canadian archives with an interview with Speer for a complete picture of the man and his environment. The program opens with Watson explaining that well-known Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal defends Speer as a good and honest man who performs a valuable job by telling his story. Highlights of the program include Speer's discussion of the following topics, among others: his idyllic, privileged childhood in Mannheim and Heidelberg; his family's lack of anti-Semitism and political involvement; the shame, anger, and unfairness he felt over Germany's defeat in World War I and how it influenced his decision to follow Hitler; his introduction, when he was twenty-eight, to Hitler by Rudolf Hess, and his subsequent commissions working for Joseph Goebbels, designing the new Berlin chancellory, and staging the rallies at Nuremberg; Hitler's plans for Berlin to rival ancient Rome in imperial splendor; and the fact that Speer's children did not have much fondness for Hitler. He portrays Hitler as not insane, and primarily "normal"; Joseph Goebbels, Hermann Goering, and Heinrich Himmler as boring and pedestrian; Martin Bormann as a drunkard who, despite rumors, probably is not alive; and Eva Braun as unintelligent but having a love for Hitler that was not returned. Speer then speaks about the hundreds of Nazis who were killed after a failed attempt to overthrow Hitler; his belief that "Mein Kampf" is very dull; Hitler's march through Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, and France; Hitler's delight in capturing Paris; and Hess's modest character and flight to England to negotiate peace according to Hitler's terms. Speer then admits his ambivalence at replacing Dr. Fritz Todt as Minister of Armaments and his share in prolonging the war by using slave labor and increasing production even though he had doubts that Germany could triumph. During Hitler's final days, Speer admits to a plan to poison Hitler and to disregarding Hitler's order to reduce Germany to rubble in the event of defeat. Footage of the post-war trials at Nuremberg is shown, and Watson asks Speer why he did not do anything to help halt the extermination of the Jews. Speer responds that he avoided learning about the situation, and as a result researches the topic extensively now in order to overcome the trauma and guilt associated with his original ignorance. He expounds on the lesson that freedom of public opinion should not be suppressed. Watson closes the program with a report that Speer has died at the age of seventy-five while working on an account of the nightmare of Nazi Germany. Clips from Leni Riefenstahl's propaganda film, "Triumph of the Will," as well as never-before-seen footage of film shot by Speer, are featured on this program.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by The Hearst Corporation, 1998.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS Cable
- DATE: November 21, 1981 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:05:54
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:00524
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Anti-Semitism; Biography; Germany - History (1939-1945); Germany - Politics and government; Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945); Nazism
- SERIES RUN: CBS Cable, 1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- W.R. Callaghan … Producer
- Brian Nolan … Producer, Director, Writer
- Patrick Watson … Narrator
- Albert Speer … Guest
- Martin Bormann
- Eva Braun
- Joseph Goebbels
- Hermann Goering
- Rudolf Hess
- Heinrich Himmler
- Adolf Hitler
- Leni Riefenstahl
- Fritz Todt
- Simon Wiesenthal