Dr. Todt - Mission and Achievements

A documentary film produced by the NSDAP technical department and dedicated to the memory of Dr. Fritz Todt, a German engineer and politician killed in a plane crash in 1942. Todt served as an officer in WWI and won medals of honor. He joined the Nazi party in 1922, and in 1931 was admitted to the high command of the SS. On July 1933, he was appointed General Inspector of German highways, a position that was created a few days before. As part of his position as General Inspector, he was put in charge of building a network of highways - Autobahn. Todt was also in charge of coordinating the entire German construction industry, and for this purpose he made use of the Todt Organization, which he had founded to build the West Wall. Todt's authority was broadened in 1940 to include management of the entire War Economy when he became head of the Reich Ministry for Armaments and Munitions. In 1941 he was also made General Inspector for Water and Energy Resources. Todt and his organization were active throughout the occupied territories. He began by building the so-called Atlantic Wall from north Norway to southern France; he further adapted the Russian railroad system to the German broad-gauge truck, and undertook to repair streets and bridges that had been destroyed.