XXI. Albert Speer

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3. Documents

[Following are translations of documents which were introduced in evidence, in whole or in part, as part of Speer’s defense. They are published because of their unique historical importance. —Ed.]

Speer Document 004

Teletype from Speer to General Studt
Paris of 4 January 1944

In a conference which took place today the Fuehrer has ordered Gauleiter Sauckel to procure the labor needed by the German war economy from the European territory after more exact planning. In this task he is to be supported by all agencies of my field of command. Gauleiter Sauckel will for the time being start negotiations with the appropriate agencies with regard to the occupied western territories, in order to clear up the manner and possibility of the execution. In this respect it must be secured above all circumstances that an endangerment of the economy of these territories does not take place through the reductions.

The Fuehrer has additionally ordered that—

1. The labor which is presently employed in restricted war plants [Sperrbetrieben] and which will arrive in future through voluntary recruiting or through mediation in the occupied territories and Italy are to be protected from any transfer to Germany, and

2. The labor which is still lacking in the restricted war plants [Sperrbetrieben] is to be procured for them expeditiously and with priority.

[signed] SPEER

Speer Document 008

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Speer Document 019

Speer’s Speech in Hamburg on 16 April 1945

Never before was a civilized people so hard hit, never before were destruction and war damages so extensive as in our country, and never before did a people endure the hardships of war with greater endurance, tenacity, and faith than you.

Now you all are dejected and shaken to the utmost. Your love turns into hate and your endurance and tenacity into weariness and indifference.

THAT MAY NOT BE.

The German people have displayed a united attitude in this war that in future times will arouse the admiration of unpartial history. We must not at the present moment mourn and weep over the past. Our fate can only be borne further through desperate work. But we can only help ourselves if we determine on a sober basis of realities what is required at the present moment.

There is here only one task of importance: Avoid anything that may take away entirely from the German people its already so greatly reduced basis of living. The preservation of our places of labor, our communication system, and all other installations vital to supply the nation’s needs is the first condition for the maintenance of our people’s power. Therefore everything must be avoided during this phase of the war that may unleash further destruction of our economy.

As the Reich minister responsible for the maintenance of roads, waterways, power plants, and the restoration of traffic I therefore order as follows in agreement with the supreme commanding offices [Kommandostellen] of the Branches of the Wehrmacht:

1. Any destruction or crippling of a bridge, a plant of any kind, a waterway, or of railway or news services is from this moment prohibited.

2. All bridges are to be demined. All other preparations for any other destruction and paralyzing measures are to be removed. Where paralyzing actions have already been carried out, the individual items removed are to be returned to the plants.

3. Protective measures for plants, railways, and news services are to be taken locally at once.

4. These directives are valid as well for the German Reich ter-

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ritories as for occupied Norway, in Denmark, in Bohemia and Moravia, and in Italy.

5. Anyone disobeying these orders consciously and decisively harms the German people and is therefore its enemy.

The soldiers of the Wehrmacht and the Volkssturm are hereby instructed to take action against these enemies of the people with all means, and if needed with firearms … .

In order to avoid injustices and grave lapses in this last phase of the war, it is ordered in the interest of the German that

1. Prisoners of war and foreign workers are to remain at their place of work. Whenever they are already on the move, they are to be directed towards their own home.

2. In the concentration camps the political prisoners and with them the Jews are to be segregated from the anti-social elements. The former are to be surrendered unharmed in camp to the occupying troops.

3. Execution of sentences for all political prisoners, including Jews, is to be deferred until further notice.

4. The service of the “Volkssturm” against the enemy is voluntary. Moreover the Volkssturm is duty bound to preserve peace and order in the country.

The members of the NSDAP also are duty-bound to participate in the tasks of the “Volkssturm” up to the time of occupation, in order to show that they are to render service to the people up to the very end.

5. The activity of the “Wehrwolf” and similar organizations is to be halted at once. It gives the enemy a justified occasion for reprisals and moreover it impairs the conditions required for preserving the strength of the people. Order and fulfilment of duty are an essential condition for preservation of the German people * * * .

* * * The military blows which Germany has received during the last few months are staggering. It no longer rests with us to determine whether our fate is turning.

Only a more favorable providence can change our future. We ourselves however can contribute our share by doing our work resolutely and diligently, by meeting the enemy honorably and with self-confidence, and by becoming inwardly modest and applying self-criticism, and finally by trusting unflinchingly in the future of our people, which will survive for ever and ever.

May God protect our Germany.

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Speer Document 022

15 September 1944

KR-Teletype
To the Reichsleiter Martin Bormann

Dear Party-member Bormann!

I deem the following teletype of mine necessary for the unification of opinion concerning the removal or paralyzation of industries in the Western Gaus therefore I request its transmission with a short directive to—

The Gauleiters Wagner, Buerckel, Simon, Grohe, Florian, Schlossmann, Hoffman, Meyer.

The Fuehrer has established that within a short time he can effect the recapture of the territories which are now lost.

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Considering the great importance of the Western provinces for armament and war production, all measures anticipated for the evacuation must be aimed at enabling the industry of these zones to again run at full capacity within a short time.

Therefore far reaching destruction must be refrained from.

The following general directions which I have already brought to your knowledge through the chairmen of the armament commissions are still valid in certain items and I briefly summarize them once more.

1. In endangered areas the stores of raw materials and half-finished products are to be reduced to the minimum which is necessary for the maintenance of production. Finished goods are to be shifted immediately from these areas.

2. I permit the evacuation only of plants whose output amounts to over 50 percent of the total German production. All other enterprises must maintain their manufacture on the spot until the last minutes, as it is impossible to transfer these plants in their totality to the Reich. It is of greater advantage for a plant to carry on its armament production for another 4 weeks in its old location than for it to be sent traveling and on account of the scarcity of factory space in other parts of the Reich, it would require some months before it could assume production. Moreover the extent of the evacuation, notwithstanding the restrictions, is so great that the means of transportation will hardly be sufficient.

3. Therefore these plants must be assured of being supplied as long as possible with all necessary electricity, gas, and water, etc. Moreover the premature abandonment or destruction of powerplants leads to danger to the troops. It must be considered, that even far behind the frontline the news network of the mails depends on the powerplant of a city, so that failure of a power station would make news transmission to the troops partially impossible.

4. Only in the last minute will industrial installations be made useless for a longer period by “paralyzing” the plants. This paralysis consists generally in the dismantling of important electrical aggregates and in their removal with an exact description. There is less sense in the destruction of electrical power stations because due to the great damage done to the German electrical industry by air attacks, replacement after the reoccupation will only be possible under the greatest difficulties.

5. In mining areas electric plants must be maintained in order to allow the water supply of the mining pits to be kept in order.

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It takes months for the mines to resume work after pumps have failed and pits have been inundated.

6. In planned evacuation of mining areas care must be taken that these vital power stations remain occupied and that the other works, the evacuation of which has not been anticipated, are to be kept working as long as possible.

[signed] SPEER

Will you please ascertain from the Fuehrer whether the presuppositions of this letter according to which these territories are to be reoccupied by us within a short time are still correct. The loss on the left bank of the Rhine in the long view is hardly bearable for the armament and war production. I therefore consider it correct that the three principles of this letter—

1. That production must be maintained to the last minute,
2. That the plants must only be “paralyzed", and
3. That evacuation must be effected only in the most important cases will be approved by the Fuehrer.

Will you please telephone me after receipt of this teletype.

Yours
[signed] SPEER

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Speer Document 026

BERLIN, 15 MARCH 1945.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS MARCH-APRIL 1945
AND INFERENCES

THE ENEMY AIR FORCE HAS CONCENTRATED FURTHER ON TRAFFIC INSTALLATIONS. ECONOMIC TRANSPORTATION HAS THEREBY BEEN CONSIDERABLY REDUCED.

THROUGH THE TRANSFER OF THE FRONT TO THE RHINE NUMEROUS SOFT COAL REGIONS AND LARGE SOFT COAL POWER PLANTS HAVE BEEN LOST.

THE IMMEDIATE EFFECT OF ARTILLERY ON THE RUHR AREA AND INCREASED AIR ACTIVITY BY DAY AND NIGHT, DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE FRONTS HAVE RESULTED IN FURTHER INROADS IN THE RUHR AREA.

WHEREAS THE RUHR AREA IN FEBRUARY STILL PRODUCED 8,100 CARLOADS OF COAL DAILY, THE PRESENT PRODUCTION HAS DECREASED TO ABOUT 2-3,000 CARLOADS DAILY. THE TRANSPORTATION OF COAL FROM THE REMAINING UPPER SILESIAN TERRITORIES COULD NOT BE INCREASED.

QUALITY COAL PRODUCED DAILY IS—

WITH THESE PRODUCTION FIGURES, NEITHER SEA NAVIGATION, REICH RAILROADS, GAS AND ELECTRICAL PLANTS, FOOD ECONOMY, NOR, IN THE LAST ANALYSIS THE WAR ECONOMY, CAN IN NO WISE ANY LONGER BE SUPPLIED WITH COAL (SEE ENCLOSURE 1—REICH COAL ASSOCIATION REPORT OF 7MARCH 45). SINCE THE LOSS OF UPPER-SILESIA THE REICH’s ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IS TAKING PLACE WITH INCREASING RAPIDITY, THROUGH THE RENEWED DE-

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CISIVE RETRENCHMENTS IN SUPPLY OF COAL THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN CATASTROPHICALLY ACCELERATED.

WITHIN 4-8 WEEKS ONE MUST THEREFORE COUNT WITH CERTAINTY ON THE FINAL COLLAPSE OF GERMAN ECONOMY.

NEITHER AN ARMAMENTS OUTPUT CAN THEN BE GUARANTEED, NOR WILL RAILWAY AND SEA NAVIGATION THEN BE IN A POSITION TO TAKE CARE OF THE TRANSPORTATION ASSIGNED TO THEM, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE OPERATING TRANSPORTS. AFTER THIS COLLAPSE THE WAR CAN ALSO IN A MILITARY SENSE NO-LONGER BE CARRIED ON.

THE NATION HAS DONE ITS DUTY IN THIS WAR AND HAS CARRIED OUT ITS TASK UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH WERE FAR MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN ANY PREVIOUS WAR.

IF THE WAR IS LOST IT WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE DUE TO ITS FAILURE.

It is the responsibility of us leaders to help the nation in the dark hours which are to be expected.

WITHOUT REGARD FOR OUR FATE, WE MUST QUESTION OURSELVES SOBERLY IN THIS MATTER HOW THIS CAN BE ACHIEVED ALSO IN THE MORE REMOTE FUTURE.

If the opponent wishes to destroy the nation and its basis of life, then he must do the job himself. WE MUST DO EVERYTHING TO MAINTAIN, EVEN IF, PERHAPS IN A MOST PRIMITIVE MANNER, A BASIS OF LIFE FOR THE NATION TO THE LAST.

Measures must be taken everywhere to carry out this viewpoint.

Local disaster can be prevented by clear directives. Nobody may adopt the point of view that the fate of the German people depends on his personal fate.

It must be ascertained that in these weeks it must be the principal duty of the leadership to help the people wherever possible.

For the partial field of German production and transportation FOR WHICH I AM RESPONSIBLE the following must be initiated:

1. It must be guaranteed that, if the battle advances further into the territory of the Reich, nobody has the right to destroy industrial plants, coal-mines, electric plants, and other supply facilities as well as traffic facilities, internal shipping routes,

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etc. While previously plants have been paralyzed for one or two months because individual parts had been removed in order to make possible their utilization within a short time after their recapture, this system must now also be carried out IF RECAPTURE DOES NOT SEEM POSSIBLE. The industrial plants and the basic industries are just as much part of the vital strength of the German people as agriculture. Neither would anyone harbor the thought of rendering the German fields infertile for years by virus. IT IS JUST AS IMPOSSIBLE ON OUR PART TO TAKE FROM THE MINER AND THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER THEIR EXISTENCE.

2. Preparations for the detonation of bridge structures of the Reich Railway or of road constructions have already been made extensively. It is of course necessary to detonate the bridge structures over the large rivers, if this can serve to prevent a further advance of the enemy. However, it cannot possibly be in accordance with the idea of warfare in the homeland to destroy so many bridges that with the limited facilities available after the war it will take years to reconstruct the traffic network. These destructions of bridge-structures and traffic facilities are to be carried out only if absolutely necessary and only in places which are tactically outstanding and appropriate for the extensive defensive positions. They are only to be initiated by the OKW or by the army groups. With a detonation of the bridges to the extent planned, the traffic facilities would be destroyed more effectively than the air attacks of the past years were able to achieve.

THEIR DESTRUCTION MEANS THE REMOVAL OF ANY FURTHER POSSIBILITY FOR EXISTENCE OF THE GERMAN PEOPLE.

3. The distribution of all stores of clothes and other consumer goods, insofar as they can be used by the civilian population, must be prepared without delay and must be taken care of by code word. Stocks are still large. Insufficiencies, which occur because of transportation difficulties, must be accepted. Furthermore, the order is to be issued to prepare also for the stores of the Armed Forcesincluding the food dumpssuch a distribution action, which will be initiated by code word. A DISTRIBUTION OF THE CIVILIAN AND MILITARY STORES CAN HELP THE PEOPLE SOMEWHAT TO OVERCOME THE SERIOUS TIMES WHICH MUST BE EXPECTED.

4. IT IS MATTER OF COURSE IN SUCH A SITUATION THAT THE PROTECTION OF THE GERMAN FOOD SUPPLY—FOR THE REMOTE FUTURE ALSO—MUST BE IN THE

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FOREGROUND OF ALL EFFORTS. IT HAS THEREFORE ALREADY BEEN ORDERED THAT THE MEASURES NECESSARY FOR THE FOOD SUPPLY ARE CARRIED OUT IN THE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AS WELL AND ALSO IN ALL OTHER FIELDS. The devastations of this war in the German cities can only be compared to those of the Thirty Years' War. It cannot be forecast whether the events which follow a defeat will also have as consequence a decrease of the population figure similar to that period. The people will have to bear the greatest burdens, which however will bring severe selection, and thus will retain a good core of this unique people for the remote future. WE ARE NOT ENTITLED TO CARRY OUT DESTRUCTIONS ON OUR PART AT THIS STAGE OF THE WAR, WHICH MIGHT AFFECT THE LIFE OF THE NATION. IF THE ENEMIES WISH TO DESTROY THIS NATION, WHICH HAS FOUGHT WITH A UNIQUE BRAVERY, THEN THIS HISTORICAL SHAME SHALL REST EXCLUSIVELY UPON THEM. WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION OF LEAVING TO THE NATION ALL POSSIBILITIES, WHICH IN THE MORE REMOTE FUTURE MIGHT BE ABLE TO INSURE IT A NEW RECONSTRUCTION.

[signed] SPEER

Speer Document 027

Hitler’s Order For Destructions Dated 19 March 1945

TELETYPE

To Reich Minister Speer Duplicate to: * * *

The Fuehrer on 19 March 1945 issued the following command:
Re: Measures for destructions in Reich Territory.

The struggle of our nation for existence also forces the utilization of all means to weaken the fighting power of our enemy and to prevent further advances. Advantage must be taken of all opportunities to inflict the most enduring damage to the striking power of the enemy directly or indirectly. It is a mistake to believe in the possibility of work resumption for our own purposes of undestroyed or only temporarily paralyzed traffic, communications, industrial, and supply installations after the recapture of lost territories. On his retreat the enemy will leave behind only scorched earth and refrain from any consideration for the population.

I therefore command—

1. All military traffic, communications, industrial, and supply-

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installation as well as objects on Reichs territory, which the enemy might immediately or later utilize for the continuation of his fight, are to be destroyed.

2. The military commands are responsible for the execution of this destruction of all military objects including traffic and communications installations. The Gauleiters and Commissioners for Reich Defense are responsible for the destruction of the industrial and supply installations as well as of other valuable objects; the Gauleiter and Commissioners for Reich Defense are to be given necessary assistance by the troops in carrying out this task.

3. This command is to be transmitted as promptly as possible to all troop commanders; orders to the contrary are null and void.

[signed]: Adolf Hitler

OKW/WFST/Op/Qu No 002711/45 Top Secret
[signed] WINTER Lieutenant General
and Deputy Chief West

Speer Document 028

Teletype—KR
R V M

In execution of the Fuehrer’s order, High Command of the Wehrmacht West/OP/Qu 2 No 271.45 top secret of 19 March 1945 as to demolitions in the Reich territory, the following is ordered for traffic installations:

1. In future installations are to be destroyed effectively on the abandonment of an area. Deviations in special cases are ordered by the High Command of the Wehrmacht. All restrictive orders including those reservations contained in the decree OKW/West/ Qu 2 No. 07069/45 secret of 15 September 1944 Ziff. 4 are void.

2. Commando authorities are responsible for the destructions of all traffic installations. They order the preparation, release, and execution.

3. The General in charge of the transport system is hereby -made technical adviser to the Commando authorities. In cooperation with local offices of the Reich Minister of Communications (RVM) he suggests objectives and extent of the demolition of traffic installations. (Railroad and Inland Shipping.)

4. Demolitions are effective only when they are carried out on the widest scale. Execution must therefore be effected through the RVM by its own forces and theauxiliary forces at its disposal. For objectives which represent technical difficulties, railway engineers are to be used, and whenever they do not suffice

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military engineers or other troops units are to be utilized. Cooperation between these various forces is to be insured by the General in charge of Transport in agreement with the competent local offices of the RVM.

5. The object is the creation of a transportation desert in the abandoned area. Scarcity of explosives demands inventive utilization of all possibilities of lasting destruction. (Utilization of all kinds of ammunition, also captured ammunition, fire, smashing of important parts.) Besides all objectives vital for the transport system (all kinds of artificial constructions [Kunstbauten] rail factory and work shop installations) as well as the entire rolling and floating stock (in particular locomotives, tugs, draisines) whenever they cannot be removed are to be destroyed completely by means of every possible expedient. In this way strong barriers and obstacles will be created by the concentration of rolling stock and fire. Lack of locomotives and carriages is effective, particularly against the Eastern enemy dependent on booty.

6. The RVM and the Reich Ministry Speer are asked to advise their subordinate offices in accordance with the directives given above.

Chief of the transport system of the Wehrmacht—Planning Department III Br. 0433/45 top secret

By order of Hartel, Colonel on the General Staff.

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Speer Document 030

Letter of Speer to Hitler on 29 March 1945

* * * “When on 18 March I transmitted to you my letter, I was of firm conviction that the conclusions which I had drawn from the present situation for the maintenance of our national power would find your unconditional approval. Because you yourself had once determined that it was the task of the government to preserve a nation from a heroic end if the war should be lost However during the evening you made declarations to me the tenor of which, unless I misunderstood you, was clearly and definitely as follows: If the war is to be lost the nation will also perish. This fate is inevitable. There was no necessity to take into consideration the basis which the people would need to continue a most primitive existence. On the contrary, it would be wiser to destroy even these things, because this nation had proved to be the weaker one and the future belonged solely to the stronger Eastern nation. Besides, those who remain after the battle are only the inferior ones; for the good ones have fallen.

After these words I was profoundly shaken, and when on the next day I read the order for destruction and shortly after that the strict order of evacuation, I saw in this the first steps toward the realization of these intentions” * * *.

Speer Document 031

Executory Decree of Hitler, 30 March 1945

The Fuehrer
Headquarters of Fuehrer, 30 March 1945

For unified execution of my decree of 19 March 1945 I command:

1. The ordered measures for destruction of industrial plants serve exclusively the purpose of making impossible the use by the enemy of these plants in order to augment his fighting forces.

2. In no case must the measures adopted weaken our own fighting forces. Production must be maintained to the last possible moment, even when there is danger due to swift movements of the enemy that the plant may fall into his hands undestroyed. Industrial plants of all kinds, including industries of supply, can only then be destroyed, when they are threatened imminently.

3. Where the total destruction of bridges and other traffic installations makes their use impossible by the enemy for a long period, the same result can be obtained by lasting paralysis of industrial plants, including industries of supply. The total destruction of especially important plants will be determined by the Reich Minister for Armament and War Production by my orders

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(for instance, munitions works, most important chemical plants, etc.)

4. The selection for paralysis and destruction of industrial plants and other works is made by the Gauleiter and Reich Commissioner for Defense, who supervises their execution. The execution is dealt with solely by the Offices and Organizations of the Reich Minister for Armament and War Production. In this connection all offices of the Party, the State, and the Army are to render assistance.

5. The provision for execution is published with my assent by the Reich Minister for Armament and War production. He can give individual instructions to the Reich Commissioner for Defense.

6. These principles are valid according to their purport for the plants and installations in the immediate fighting zone.

[signed] ADOLF HITLER

Speer Document 032

Pariser Platz 3, BERLIN W 8, 30 March 1945

Executive Decree, dated 30 March 1945
The Reich Minister for Armament and War Production ZA/Org. 372-381/45 secret

SECRET!

Subject: Executive regulations for the Fuehrer Decree, dated 30 March 1945, concerning measures for crippling and destroying.

For the execution of the Fuehrer decrees dated 19 March 1945 and 30 March 1945 I decree:

1. My present decrees and directives concerning the crippling of industrial installations of all kinds and public utilities (electric power, gas, water, food economic enterprises of all kinds) continue to apply as before. The preparations for crippling which have been ordered are to be pursued with all intensity in order to guarantee the execution when necessary in the shortest possible time. These crippling measures must make it impossible for the enemy to use our industrial installations and supply facilities for the increase of high fighting power right now and in this foreseeable future.

I emphasize once more the necessity of absolute secrecy concerning all preparations.

2. Total destruction of the most important installations or their most important parts will take place upon an order by the Fuehrer, which will have issued. I shall name these plants, along

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with the appropriate directive, to the chairmen of the armament commission or sub-commissions.

Insofar as the intermediary authorities should have suggestions for their part, then these are to be forwarded to me as quickly as possible.

3. The time for the execution of my appropriate directive will be determined exclusively from the battle situation. It is only to be issued when an immediate danger of occupation by the enemy exists. In connection with this, I refer to my repeated order “to continue to manufacture even during the most difficult situations until the last possible moment".

Since all these measures are to be executed in accordance with the principle of not weakening own fighting power one moment too soon. I demand that all departments (armament offices and plant managers) show the highest sense of responsibility. Pursuant to the Fuehrer decree, the Party,,the Wehrmacht, and the nation have to assist in the destruction itself on request.

4. The execution of the orders for crippling or destruction, delegated by the Fuehrer to the Gauleiters and Reich Commissioners, extends to the territorial limits, and must be effected in coordination with the military command posts according to the battle situation.

5. Since, pursuant to Fuehrer decree of 30 March 1945, concerning the execution of these measures, the armament authorities are responsible even in the immediate combat zone, my decree of 17 October 1944, point 4, corrected on 6 November 1944, is rescinded. Supreme Command of the Armed Forces/ Armed Forces Operations Staff (OKW/WFSt) will give identical orders to its commands.

The military headquarters have territorial jurisdiction for the execution of the crippling and destruction of the combat zone.

6. Within the framework of the territorial execution of these orders, the chairmen of the armament commissions or sub-commissions are responsible for the execution of individual orders for the crippling of factories or their destruction. They can delegate their powers to the armament authorities responsible for subareas of their territory.

[signed] SPEER

Official
[signed] GOTTSCHALK
Oberinspektor [Seal]

Distribution:

Highest Reich authorities and Armed Forces Offices according to a special distribution list.

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Plenipotentiary General for Reich Administration with duplicates for the Reich Defense Commissioners.

Regierungspraesidenten, Landraete and Chief Mayors

Chief of the Party Chancellery with duplicates for the Gauleiters

Armament Commissioners

Chairmen of the Armament Commissions with duplicates for the Armament Inspectorate.

Armament Detachments.

WKB, LWAE, Rue-Obm., Organization Todt Einsatzgruppenleiter

Chiefs of the Main Commissions, Main “Rings” and Production Main Commissions

Reich Minister of Communications with duplicates for the General Plant

Directorates and the Reich Railroads Directorates

Reich Food Minister with duplicates for the state farm leaders.

Inter Office Distribution A2

Speer Document 043

Extract from Memorandum from Speer to Hitler dated 20 September 1944

* * * “So now I am confronted by the fact that at the present stage of the war, in which with growing concern one seeks negligence everywhere, the self-responsibilitywhich I built up in industry and in my ministry is being designated as 'alien to the Party', as a 'reservoir of reactionary economic leaders' or even as 'hostile to the Party'.” (Remarks by Dr. Goebbels and Reich Leader Bormann)

The task which I have to fulfill is a non-political one. So far I have enjoyed my work, since I personally and my work were evaluated strictly according to professional achievements.

I must assume that this professional achievement is still meeting with approval even today.

I do not feel strong enough to carry out without hindrance and successfully, the technical work to be accomplished by myself and my co-workers if it is to be measured by Party political standards.

* * * * * * *

20 July caused great lack of confidence on the part of the German people. A feeling of insecurity as to whom one could still rely upon, and as to who would stand at one’s side with

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active achievement and spiritual preparedness, is generally widespread.

It has fostered anew a lack of confidence in the reliability of my large circle of co-workers from industry.

The fact that I was on the Ministerial list of 20 July is probably known since the Gauleiter meeting to every Gauleiter and even a large circle to the Party.

As my achievements are pretty well recognized there is no danger in this. However the conviction that I am being influenced and carried along by a circle which in its composition is reactionary, economically biased, and alien to the Party is comparatively widespread.

I do not believe that the second system which might be applied in our economythe system of compulsion by Industrial Commissioners, or extensive proceedings and punishment when output is insufficient, can lead to success.” * * *

Speer Document 043

Excerpt from the Fuehrer Protocol of August 18/20, 1944

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Point 8: “The Fuehrer agrees to the instructions we propose for paralyzing instead of destroying industrial or power plants falling temporarily into enemy hands.”

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