Freedom, Death, or Prison for Life?

[Skunk_Giant]

I had this discussion with a few friends and family, and many times, I've received different results on their opinions.

The person we were discussing, was Albert Speer. Speer was an architect, and rose through the ranks of the Nazi's quite fast for his skill.
At the end of WWII, he, unlike many others, was not given the death sentence. He was set free, and wrote books of his life after he moved to England, and later died in 1981.

Now, the question I pose to you, is what punishment should he have faced.

In my opinion, I actually feel he was rightly let go from the death sentence. My main reason for this, is I ask, what could he have done?
Some that I've debated this with have said he could have tried to help Jewish people out of Germany, that he could have saved many lives, but I disagree.
He was high in the Nazi ranks. I believe that if he had tried to save the Jewish people, or even if he had run away, Hitler would have found him easily and had him executed.
Another important thing to note, was that Speer had children, all of whom would likely have faced the same fate, or at least been imprisoned.
Would he risk his own life and his children's life to save innocent families. At first, it would seem right to risk the life of one family to save many others, but when you put yourself in his shoes, and realise it's your family, everything changes.
It's still disputed on how much knowledge Speer had of the holocaust, or even if he cared. Perhaps he really did have a similar mindset to Hitler.

So, I wanna hear your thoughts on this.

Here's a wiki article on Speer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Speer

Remember, stay civilized. No flaming.

[MKindy]

Speer always struck me as having been a good friend of Hitler's, but with very little influence on the workings and planning of the overall war effort and "Final Solution." At worst, I would say Speer was a very self-serving individual. He was simply an architect, one who wanted to build grand structures for his own glory -- something Hitler could empathize with, having featured in his own art grandiose buildings bordering on the absurd.

To put it more succinctly, if you prosecute and jail for life/sentence to death a man like Speer, how far removed from the political machine that was the Nazis does one have to be before one does not deserve to die? It's a question that came up even then, when the Nuremburg judges had to determine if "following orders" was a valid defense for those who carried out atrocities far worse than simply working on Hitler's domestic staff.

[random980]

If Speer only shared the ideals of the nazi party,all his actions towards helping hitler where forced and he regrets making said actions, then freedom is justified.
If Speer intentionality harmed any Jews, blacks or gays he should have been gassed himself.

(btw i have studied both world wars, so if you do flame me prepared to be owned)

[Lord_Mountbatten]

(btw i have studied both world wars, so if you do flame me prepared to be owned)

I fought in them.

[Skunk_Giant]

(btw i have studied both world wars, so if you do flame me prepared to be owned)

I fought in them.

He has a point...

But yeah, that's the problem. There isn't really any proof that he did or didn't intentionally harm innocent people.