Jeff Hirsh Read: March 2024
Inspiration: Heard of the book through a podcast and interested to learn more about drug use in Nazi Germany
Summary
Written with the help of ChatGPT, below is a brief summary to understand what is covered in the book.
“Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich”, published in 2015 by author Norman Ohler, is a meticulously researched and thought-provoking book that delves into the pervasive use of drugs in Nazi Germany and their potential influence on the decisions and actions of the Nazi leadership during World War II. Drug use permeated all levels of German society, with civilians using drugs to cope with life in a totalitarian state. Ohler argues that drug use significantly shaped the trajectory of the Third Reich, impacting decision-making, behavior, and strategic choices, leaving a lasting impact on history. Ohler draws on extensive primary sources, including previously unreleased documents from the German Federal Archives, to offer a unique and controversial perspective on this dark period of history.
Unedited Notes
Direct from my original book log, below are my unedited notes (abbreviations and misspellings included) to show how I take notes as I read.
Pervitin was the name of the drug in Germany known as “Volksdroge” or “people’s drug” and active ingredient was methamphetamine, on sale at every pharmacy in Third Reich despite outward facing strict policies, methamphetamine is an upper so boosts performance, German pharmacologist isolated morphine from opium early 1800s, 1827 Merck Company birthed modern pharma industry, could fight against pain, injections invented 1850 for morphine and take off from there, 1897 Bayer Company create Aspirin, heroin invented 1897–first designer drug (derivative of morphine), Germany was at the center of painkiller world, post WW1 destruction in German gave way to culture conducive to drugs and infamous nightlife scene explode, line of thought that this drug/addict/escape culture then met nazi crackdown on drugs as hitler aim to be source of “intoxication” via theatrics and speeches, population of addicts/escapists vulnerable to this type of politics as prior source/outlet of drugs/nightlife face nazi crackdown, Pervitin producer by German pharma co Temmler was first methamphetamine drug to really take over Ger society, all walks of life used to energize, Hitler in particular have doc on hand to inject, even had methamphetamine chocolates become popular as energize for work and partying, even backed by scientists support, for ww2–Pervitin (methamphetamine) was an essential and recommended part of “Wehrmacht” (army) supplies, ordered to stay up many days straight, 35mm+ pills ordered and delivered to troops, would not have conducted battles without the pills ready for soldiers, “blitzkreig was founded on methamphetamine”—in less than 100 hrs Ger gained more territory than all of ww1, speed was critical to blitzkreig in May 1940, stunned France as gained ground so fast while never sleeping, however Blitzkreig was largely an operation controlled by generals and not Hitler who was paranoid and upset at losing “control”—so moved to slow the attack and demonstrate control at own peril as French on backfoot, May 20 1940 after 10 days of blitzkreig success, Hitler issue “Dunkirk Halt” order which still baffles—blessing to allies as Ger stop progress and retreat, Goring known as “Moring” for morphine addiction, some in Reich ranks push back on Pervitin early ’41 and BBC in england report luftwaffe success only due to drugs but publicly Reich deny all drug use in favor of ideological enthusiasm, Hitler’s medical decline began autumn 1941 and continue for 3 years—however true story of why and whether drugs were downfall is convoluted and hidden, doctor Morell was Hitler’s person physician, 28 diff pills per day, and kept notes but scattered, Morell has commercial interest in drug dev as well, look to Morell notes to track Hitler’s demise and sift thru narratives, fall 1941 Hitler fall sick for first time and Morell deployed cocktail of ever changing injections and become daily routine—day revolved around injections, Hitler lived in bunker and rarely came for air/light, Morell by his side always and Hitler’s decision making spiral into countless blunders, but Hitler denied failures and continued on, Hitler no longer appear in public for mass speeches and ovations—simply use drugs for intoxication, made military decision with zero knowledge of state of warfare and his men, all while ever more nervous on ever more drugs, Theodor Morell even joined top secret meetings with generals given import to Hitler, July 1943 Hitler have another sickness and Morell turn to oxycodone based drug to heal—hugely addictive but worked, desperate given Italy’s recent betrayal and meetings to come as shape the war, post-1944 hitler assassination bomb at bunker, hitler require more drugs and Morell turn to cocaine (viewed as Jew drug) but hitler become addict, other SS men grow suspicious of Morell given secrecy and try to get detail on injections but to no avail as Hitler closest with doctor and doctor only, last quarter of 1944 Hitler moved to even more isolated bunker and constantly have shakes/tremors with constant injections as doctor never leave his side, 120-150 tablets at 20+ injections daily was norm per letters of others, added morphine to regime which also included cocaine and oxycodone (Eukadol), late 1944 nazis have one last push to reverse war fortunes via new one-man torpedo uboats but required days underwater so pursue Wonder Drug to fuel combat, winning Wonder Drug “D IX” was concoction of 5mg eukadol (oxy), 5mg cocaine, 3mg meth—totally backfire, still continue wonder drug efforts but now let SS doctor Richert experiment before deployed to soldiers—used concentration camps as experiments, gave enormous amounts of cocaine, pervitin (meth) and see how prisoners respond by having them march with no end, often 75-100mg of cocaine tested at once, land on cocaine gum of 20mg as final choice for german marines to end war—given to youngest soldiers and would be up for 4 days straight with hallucinations/frightening sensations, all died underwater on these mini uboat missions, March 19 1945 Hitler issue Nero decree to destroy entirety of germany as last act in losing war (all facilities, monuments, bridges, etc) but never realize given lack of resources, soon after as Hitler deteriorate, Morell lose supply access as all bombed by Allies—Hitler dismiss Morell in fury, April 30 1945 hitler marry eva braun, spaghetti with tomato sauce on side and have potassium cyanide for dessert then hitler shoot self, as news spread 100k other germans committed honor suicide, may 8 1945 Wehrmacht surrender, Morell found in Bavaria mid May and taken by American for interrogation—though was incoherent and no use as Nuremberg witness
