Mass dependence and scientific progress

Throughout the duration of the Nazi regime in Germany, many scientific advances were made, particularly in the field of medical science. Many new drugs and chemicals were invented and became widely used in Germany.

With few laws restricting the use of harmful drugs and without proper testing, many drugs have become an integral part of German life.

The history of Nazi Germany is not only one of war, but also one of drug abuse at intense levels, from the people on the streets to the soldiers on the battlefield, to at the highest levels of the German government.

Background to Nazi Germany’s drug policy

Before World War I, the German pharmaceutical industry was much more advanced than that of contemporary countries. Breakthroughs in chemical science, funding, and interest throughout Germany created a powerful new industrial branch that gave Germany a global monopoly. Fueled by financing provided by the sale of morphine patented by Merck and the recognition of the power of the heroine by BayerGermany continued its research into painkillers and other opioid-derived medications.

When the The Nazis took power in 1933drug policy remained largely unchanged, and new drugs would be created and marketed to Germans and people around the world.

Methamphetamines and their use throughout World War II

Along with readily available opioids, a powerful new drug called Pervitin was patented in the winter of 1937 by the Temmler Group. It was one of the first forms of crystal meth available over the counter. In crystalline form, the drug was invented in Japan, but in the form of an easily consumed pill, Pervitin, accompanied by an aggressive marketing campaign, became extremely popular in Germany. Billboards were erected throughout the capital, targeting the ordinary population.

Originally intended to compete with Coca-Cola, it kept the user awake and reduced the need for sleep. While this already marked it for military use, it had other effects that presented enormous benefits to soldiers in combat. The psychological effects cannot be overstated. This created a feeling of euphoria, giving rise to a feeling of confidence and enthusiasm, even omnipotence. These effects had an extraordinary effect on the success of a Blitzkrieg.

(As an aside, Germany had difficulty obtaining the ingredients for Coca-Cola, and the eventual substitute was the German invention of Fanta. As the story goes, when asked what name it would be given to the name of the product, the director of Coca-Cola Germany, Max Keith, asked his team to use their imagination (the German word for “imagination” being Fantasy). Salesman Joe Knipp immediately exclaimed, “Fanta!” ).)

Preparations for the Western Campaign, the invasion of France and the Netherlands, included 35 million Pervitin pills distributed to troops. There was enough for about ten pills per soldier.

There was no order to take the pills, but it was expected that there would be little pushback since the drug was considered completely safe. The result was an offensive so tireless and so furious that it gave birth to the idea of ​​German “supersoldiers.” In his book Blitz: drugs in Nazi Germany, notes Norman Ohler that Belgian soldiers reported that Germans were fearlessly rushing towards their machine gun nests. This reduction in the level of fear among German troops was another huge benefit of the drug.

With Pervitin’s help, the Germans were unstoppable when they invaded France. During the first three days of the Ardennes offensive, there was no pause. The soldiers continued to march and attack without sleeping. Unable to withstand such a relentless attack, the French withdrew and the Germans achieved in three days what they had failed to do in four years of the First World War.

This was not the first time that these drugs were used on a massive scale. They were used during the prior invasion of Poland and the invasion of Balkans then, which took place without rest for 11 days. Despite warnings from doctors as early as late 1939 and the drug eventually becoming available by prescription only, it was still very easy to obtain, even for troops on the front line, far from the convenience of a local German pharmacy. It is claimed that pervitin was mixed with chocolate and given to pilots and tankers, but this claim is open to debate and images associated with this claim have been shown to be false.

By 1941, use dropped significantly among the civilian population due to concerns about the drug’s addictive properties. It proved more resilient in the hands of the military, and drugmaker Temmler-Werke remained in business, raking in huge profits.

Pervitin wasn’t the only drug that kept soldiers awake and alert. Cocaine was also widely used, especially among pilots who used large quantities to concentrate in the sky, although the drug had been banned in 1924.

Drugs in the upper echelons of Nazi society

Despite much attention paid to the newly created Pervitin, the medical industry in Germany was overflowing with experimental drugs and drug cocktails. With few or no safety measures, doctors were virtually free to dispense their medications without fear of malpractice suits. Many patients became guinea pigs as doctors administered various substances to them in a cavalier manner.

Adolf Hitler himself, despite his reputation for abstinence, became dependent on drugs dispensed by his personal physician, Doctor Théodor Morellentered the service of the Führer in 1936.

Morell had been considered an impostor by his contemporaries, but his solutions seemed effective enough for Hitler to retain his services until the end of the war. In hindsight, it seems clear that Hitler’s erratic and delusional behavior was the result of the drugs administered by Morell. Hitler received a large quantity of medicines that certainly would not be administered today. In addition to casually prescribed Pervitin, laxatives, hormones, sedatives and digestives, he was given extremely dangerous medications such as anti-gas pills containing strychnine and Eukadol, a drug twice as potent than morphine.

Not only did the most powerful man in Nazi Germany see his mental health decline due to his drug use, but the second most powerful man, Hermann Göring, was also affected. His addiction to morphine was widely known, and he began taking it after being wounded in World War I and then after being shot in the leg during the failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. was so serious that he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. hospital twice – once in 1925 and again in 1926.

After becoming head of state of Prussia after the Nazis came to power, Goering had unlimited access to drugs and used his position to experiment with other drugs, although he struggled with morphine until his suicide in 1945. As the war dragged on, Goering became more delusional; When Allied troops captured him, he was found with two suitcases containing a total of 20,000 paracodeine tablets.

Pervitin, as a form of crystal meth, had an undeniable effect on German troops. At first, it gave them superhuman abilities. Thousands of people have become addicted to it and countless soldiers have used it regularly since the invasion of Poland, increasing their dosage over the years to achieve the desired effects. As the Reich collapsed, these men withdrew and the consequences were extreme.

From the soldiers to the Führer, the Third Reich was in the grip of a massive wave of psychosis that was undermining the nation’s capacity for reasoning. They did not benefit from the programs we have today that educate the modern world about the extreme dangers posed by drugs. As a result, the simplest option was to simply continue dispensing the drugs.

At the end of the war, children were sent to the front with little more than a pack of gum laced with cocaine to keep them going.

Despite regulations, soldiers today continue to use drugs in large quantities on the battlefield, in an effort to stay vigilant and outmatch their enemies.