In 1942, after the death of Armaments Minister Fritz Todt, Hitler appointed Albert Speer as his replacement.[269] Wartime rationing of consumer goods led to an increase in personal savings, funds which were in turn lent to the government to support the war effort.[270] By 1944, the war was consuming 75 percent of Germany's gross domestic product, compared to 60 percent in the Soviet Union and 55 percent in Britain.[271] Speer improved production by centralising planning and control, reducing production of consumer goods, and using forced labour and slavery.[272][273] The wartime economy eventually relied heavily upon the large-scale employment of slave labour.