5.0 out of 5 stars Tragedy of the pharmacological highs and crash of a whole country

f. · 5 August 2020

This book goes some way to tying up loose ends and unconvincing explanations offered, in previous books on the war and its protagonists.The invasion of France was as successful as it was, despite the French having the best tanks and possibly best army, hardly because they were vastly tactically out of date, but because Germans all the way from the generals to the rank and file were wired on amphetamine and disobeyed Hitler orders in their chemical rush to push further and faster into enemy territory than ever achieved before. Guderian had instructed troops that he needed them prepared to operate for 72 straight hours without rest and expressed himself well pleased when they had achieved it for a straight 48. The French just did not understand how the Germans could cover so much territory so fast. Of course they didn't, because the substance Pervitin was unknown to them.Approximately the first half of the book is devoted to the effect of stimulants on the armed forces while the second half concentrates on the increasing drug dependence and fading condition of the Fuhrer. He comes across as a tragic figure, voluntarily sequestering himself in an unhealthy environment and preferring to assert himself with chemically bolstered "force of will" over his generals. Naturally being a dictator his chemical euphoria allowed him to talk over anybody else for hours at a time and the more naive were taken in by his chemically induced optimism and force of personality.Ironically as the balance of the war swung against Germany and it was no longer dominant, the utility of Pervitin on combatants receded and Hitler's own preference for first an injected opiate and later Cocaine came to the fore in order to at least dominate his own generals.Opiates and stimulants were not the only things Hitler was treated with and quite probably his condition was wrecked permanently by autoimmune reactions to being injected with distillations of animal organs and hormones for years, his doctor only sterilising his needles with alcohol. He acquired a rapidly worsening parkinsonism certainly before the bomb plot. He was so junked up his hardly felt a thing from the explosion.It is interesting to reflect how Hitler's reputation had been kept high by external circumstances and substances despite a dilettante and nervous nature. The ad-hoc conquering of France by wired generals became part of the Hitler myth instead, and the injections of his doctor allowed him to project his famous "will" for years against the doubts of his own generals when the war went the other way. It is too difficult to say whether the war would have ended much differently without his drugs however, since he had already committed himself to at least destroying the jews of europe through the war.The book is an interesting quick read which I can recommend to anyone who has read at least one book on the second world war already.

4.0 out of 5 stars High Hitler?

C. · 11 July 2017

Over the years opinions of Adolf Hitler has changed from evil genius to skilled public speaker that was militarily incompetent and suffered from comically bad flatulence! This book adds another piece to the puzzle of understanding Hitler, it claims that he, the civilians and army were smashed out of their heads on drugs.This tale of woe starts with Dr Theodor Morell been accused of being a Jew which is not a good thing in Nazi Germany. In order to deal with this he joined the Nazi Party which resulted in him becoming more successful.One of Morell's specialties was vitamin injections. Little was know about vitamins at the time and obviously somebody suffering from vitamin deficiency needs vitamins but Morell's vitamin injections had a little extra, he added a stimulant, for men he added testosterone (causes energy and muscle building) and for women he added nightshade( for energy and seductive eyes). Morell's spiked vitamin injections soon became popular with German high society with people such as athletes, politicians and movie stars flocking to his practice for their energy boost.Morell met Hitler at a dinner in the villa of Heinrich Hoffmann, and when Hitler complained about stomach pains that he had for years, Morell suggested a cure. A few days later at a private conversation with Hitler Morell suggested that Hitler's stomach problems could be fixed with a dose of healthy gut bacteria and Hitler could be given energy boosts with injections of heart, liver, chalk, iodine and vitamins. Hitler did not like doctors who questioned him to find the root of his problems with Morell there was none of this, just a quick injection and Adolf felt better again. The first years of Morell's treatment cured Hitler of his stomach pain and the vitamin shots gave him energy.Germany's economy was doing well meaning plans for war became more realistic.Germany at the time was the world centre of drug development, amazing world changing discoveries such as aspirin were been made but unfortunately when drugs are first discovered the side effects can take years to figure out, leading to situations such as Heroin initially been sold as a remedy for headaches!The German firm Temmler found a way to synthesize meth and started mass producing it under the name Pervitin. The effects on the user include feeling wide awake, increases in energy, intensified senses, increases in self confidence, euphoria and subjectively faster thinking.( this is similar to the effects of adrenaline which makes sense as meth is chemically similar, but meth works more gently and lasts longer) Because meth is long lasting it damages the mind at higher doses as the mind cannot handle such intense activity over a long time. At the time the side effects were not known and Temmler did not bother to research, Pervitin was marketed on such benefits as a energy boost, depression cure and female libido enhancer.Pervitin became a massive success, everybody was taking it including the Nazi Party. It became a symptom of the developing high performance society.Otto Ranke, the leading defence physiologist in the Third Reich was interested in figuring out a cure for fatigue and decided to give Pervitin proper testing. Medical officers were given either Pervitin, caffeine or placebos(fake pills) and tested on maths and logic problems through the night until 4pm the next day. The people given Pervitin were still wide awake and ready after over 10 hours of concentration but the test sheets showed some problems, people on Pervitin were worse at abstract thinking, calculations were performed faster but more mistakes were made, concentration and attention during more complex questions had not improved and only small increase in less high-level tasks. Pervitin kept people from sleeping but it did not make them any smarter. Ranke recommended it for rousing weary soldiers.Despite the results, the government were not interested in larger studies but news spread among young medical officers who started using it as a performance enhancer but unfortunately students that took Pervitin did worse in their exams not better. Ranke cancelled another Pervitin experiment and sent a letter to the other institute directors about possible dangers of addiction. As the invasion of Poland loomed closer, medical officers snapped up all the Pervitin they could, the invasion of Poland would be a large scale uncontrolled use of Pervitin without the understanding of correct dosages.The invasion of Poland on meth went well, the soldiers reporting effects such as alertness, energy, confidence and euphoria but concerns remained.Among the German civilian population Pervitin was been used for a huge number of things such as hay fever, shyness, seasickness, depression, baby blues, basically anything that caused discomfort. In autumn, the Reich Health Officer Leo Conti stepped in on concerns that the entire nation were becoming addicts and long term side effects, he made Pervitin prescription only in November 1939 but the chemists ignored him so the ban made no difference and the military were not bothered either.The Nazis planned for the invasion of France, the Germans lacked the resources for a long war and the French had what was considered the best army in the world and help from the English meaning the Germans were outnumbered as well. The Nazis decided on a risky surprise attack via the poorly defended Ardennes, hopeful they could burst through this weakly held point and rush forward quickly before the French and English could respond. Based on the experience in Poland, Pervitin was expected be vital for the attack, it would allow the army to rush forward day and night, not stopping for rest.The attack on France was a stunning success, the Nazis charged forward with their tanks and did not stop day and night, the stunned allies could not handle such as relentless drive forward expecting the Germans to stop for supplies, securing the ground they gained and to rest, but no, thanks to Pervitin there was no need for rest and the Nazis swept through the entire country in just 17 days.Hitler was struck by the massive success of the attack, he had actually done little in the attack as the tank groups have operated independently of him. Fearing the army would take all the glory Hermann Göring suggested the German air force be allowed to finish off the allies at Dunkirk, Hitler agreed and ordered the army to stop so the air force could deliver the final blow. The plan did not work very well as clouds blocked the planes view and the RAF provided air cover to the allies, the army begged Hitler to change his mind but he did not, Hitler would show the army he was in charge not them and so the allies managed to escape. (The halt at Dunkirk remains controversial among historians and I not sure this book covers all the details)The side effects of such heavy meth use started to become apparent, some older officers had died from heart problems. Low drive and depression were reported, the more the user had used Pervitin the worse they were, but no worries just take some more Pervitin to sort the problem out! Of course, this only makes the side effects worse meaning you need even more Pervitin. Ranke whitewashed the inquires on Pervitin and ironically he himself was now addicted.Morell started manufacturing vitamin tablets containing rosehip powder, dried lemon, yeast extract, skimmed milk and refined sugar. Using Hitler as a celebrity endorser it became very successful.The English press reported the German use of drugs, the Germans denied it saying only individuals had used it in small quantities. Rising concern over side effects caused Conti to declare Pervitin to be an intoxicant but the civilians and military just ignored him.In the autumn of 1941 Hitler's performance took a dip and he appeared to be in a "narcotic trance", could it be something to do the Morell's pills and injections?When the Germans invaded Russian they used the same tactic of relentless charge forward with tanks relying on Pervitin to not have to rest, initially they did well but Russia was too big a country to be charged through quickly, even troops on meth have to rest eventually. Despite huge losses the Russians started to offer effective resistance, the tide of battle turned and the Germans started losing.Adolf Hitler fell ill and Morell's normal injections did not work, Morell switched to stronger stuff such as the steroid glyconorm. Hitler got better but Morell was concerned Hitler might fall ill again so switched to more harder stuff such as Orchikrin(anti depressant), Homoseran (body building supplement), Tonophosphan(metabolic stimulant) and Testoviron(libido and vitality).The exact combination of injections changed from day to day so Hitler never had the impression of becoming dependent on any one thing, a total of over 80 different substances(some of which were psychoactive) from steroids to quack remedies were injected into Hitler.As a person gets used to a drug their tolerances build up and to get the same result requires higher doses but higher doses cause more health problems. By not wanting to switch from quick fix solutions Morell was slowly poisoning Hitler.Hitler became increasing out of touch with reality refusing to accept the fact the Germans were starting to lose. He had now pretty much given up on public speaking, the high from mass ovations replaced with highs from Morell's needle.Hitler was ill again and Morell's treatment did not work. Morell wanted to use the opioid Eukodal but was worried that Hitler would get addicted, but he had no choice as Hitler had an important meeting with Mussolini coming up. The Eukodal injection worked wonders and Hitler was full of energy taking three hours non stop at the meeting. Morell's records say he gave Hitler 24 Eukodal injections by the end of 1944 but there may have been more, Morell had bought a firm that produced opium allowing him to get all the opium he wanted without prescription.German leaders came to the bunker to discuss increasing allied air raids on German cities, Hitler gave a speech about his unshakeable conviction about imminent victory, the guests return to their bombed out cities thinking Hitler's confidence was the result of some special innovation, when in reality it was drug fuelled delusion.Hitler was increasing hostile towards anybody that looked tired or ill. He fired people simply because they looked unwell. Because there was no sick room in Hitler's bunker, Morell was the person staff turned to for pick me ups, getting in their good books. Pervitin was considered the most effective substance for a general to survive a briefing with Hitler.Hitler started having problems with shaking hands and Morell was increasing popular with Nazi high command resulting in tiredness so he started taking his own stuff.A attempted assassination of Hitler by bomb left him badly injured with numerous injures such as burst eardrums. Dr Erwin Giesing, a ear, noise and throat specialist started treating Hitler with cocaine( a common pain killer at the time) Hitler really liked the cocaine( it gets rid of self doubt and encourages megalomania) and Giesing became concerned and stopped treatment despite Hitler's wishes. Hitler went on strike refusing to take interest in the situation in the east and Giesing gave in as long as Hitler consented to a full medical examination. Hitler got his cocaine in such a high dose he lost consciousness.By mid October 1944 Hitler had dropped coke and was relying on Eukodal whose dosage had doubled in comparison to the previous year to 0.02 grams, almost 4 times the typical medical application.Giesing became concerned that Hitler's megalomania and bad heath was the result of Morell's anti-flatulence pills. Morell demonstrated the pills had nothing to do with him but concern was also expressed over Morell cleaning his needles with alcohol. Analysis of the pills showed toxic substance levels too low to matter and Hitler trusted Morell's new cleaning needles with alcohol method.Hitler's shaking was getting even worse and his veins were now so wreaked that even a expert shot giver like Morell could hardly penetrate them. Morell wanted to stop injecting for a while so previous puncture marks could heal but Hitler refused.Probably as a result of frequent Eukodal, Hitler had terrible constipation so Morell prescribed camomile suppositories which had explosive results which Morell documented in great detail.By the second half of 1944 the Nazis were in full retreat, Pervitin proved useful again but this time for non stop day and night retreats.On 19 December 1944 Hitler requested Pervitin due to excess of work, and Ernst Gunther Schenk (Heinrich Himmler's nutrition adviser) claims that Hitler was taking it before then as well.On 24 February 1945 Hitler gave a speech to district leaders. A shortage of drugs caused by allied bombing meant Hitler was going cold turkey, his shakes were much worse and he was bowed and drooling. Hitler had little of the charisma he once had, he promised new super weapons that would turn the tide but the crowd were not convinced.Hitler's condition worsened, his skin was yellow, his teeth decayed and started falling out and he rambled about subjects like Churchill and the Jews. Morell wanted to try bloodletting to give Hitler some relief, but due to fatty, hormone-saturated pig's liver injections Morell had administered, Hitler's blood was as thick as jelly and clotted immediately.On 19 March 1945 Hitler ordered the complete destruction of Germany, but the order could not be carried out due to lack of resources. Morell continued injecting Hitler with what ever he could find, which was not much. On the 17 April with the Russians closing in, Hitler ordered Morell to leave and go home and about two weeks later Hitler shot himself.The Americans tracked down Morell and interrogated him for nearly two years, but he was incoherent with little useful information so they let him go outside central station in Munich, The once great doctor to Hitler cowered shoeless until a half-Jewish Red Cross nurse took pity on him and put him in a hospital where he died about a year later.WARNING===========This book has caused controversy among historians with some liking it and others accusing the author of exaggerating the facts to give the book its wonderful narrative flow. The author has stated that he did indeed take some very small artistic license for narrative, but it was all based on fact. This was explained in the preface to the German version which is missing in the English version. Critics can use this to dismiss the book's more controversial claims but the author has provided references to back up his statements.

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing read

A.l.i.D.a.p. · 16 May 2025

Amazing book! Always had an interest in world war 2 and this book will look great in my collection

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating and highly detailed insight of drug use in the Third Reich

M.K.J. · 18 August 2023

This is a book that gives fascinating insight into how prevalent drug use was in Nazi Germany and how the armed forces were given Pervitin, an upper that was highly addictive and pretty dangerous if used unwisely. The main focus of the book is 'Patient A' who was Adolf Hitler. One photograph is entitled 'From teeetotaler to junkie' and shows Hitler looking very aged and a shadow of his former maniacal self. In Weimar Germany pre-1933 and Hitler's regime, drug use was widespread and drugs like cocaine should be found in cough mixture, all available over the counter. My copy of the book was signed by the author, Norman Ohler. This book can be read in chunks rather than all at once as the information is very detailed. The chapter entitled 'Sieg High' is particularly interesting as it describes how the use of drugs made the Nazi conquest of Europe very 'blitzed' and rapid.

4.0 out of 5 stars amazing story, very well written.

L. · 3 May 2022

Superb history about something I knew nearly nothing about - and so very wonderfully evocative. If you have any interest at all in history, or drugs - read this.4 stars according to my rating system:5* - I will read this again4* - you should read it3* - I’m glad I read it2* - I wish I hadn’t read it1* - I wish it hadn’t been written

Interesting but fictionalized

V.M. · 4 April 2018

The author is not an historian and it shows. Though many sources are quoted, he assumes and 'decorates' some facts with a prose that can seem silly or exaggerated.Almost no mention of the drug use in concentration camps. Limited only to military campaigns and Hitler's drug use, it glamorizes addiction by using informal language, and diving into sensationalism. Not a history book but a well documented study that's ruined by novelized bits.

Amazing revelations about World War II Germany

C.O.H. · 8 December 2017

As one who survived nearly six years of Nazi occupation, I have a keen interest in World War II–why it started, how it was fought, reasons for the Holocaust, and so on. Before I discovered BLITZED, DRUGS IN NAZI GERMANY, a book by Norman Ohler, I thought I knew a great deal about the war that took the lives of 25 of my family members and shaped my own life. Before I describe its contents, let me emphasize that this book is a superb piece of scholarship, with 44 pages of references and substantiated research. It is NOT science fiction. The author documents, in great detail and in a style that reads like adventure fiction, how drugs fueled the Nazi war effort–from Hitler down to the Wehrmacht soldier in the field.During World War I, German scientists invented diamorphine, which was trademarked as Heroin. Used to treat wounded soldiers, it became a popular pain-relief and recreational drug in Germany between wars. Once the Nazis took power, the most widely used drug became Pervitin, a narcotic used by soldiers, workers in factories and offices, and nearly the entire German population to fight off depression and fatigue. Blitzkrieg, the miraculously rapid capture of France, could not have happened without Pervitin. Tank drivers and other soldiers were able to go for several days without sleep on the drug, thus surprising not only the French and British with the speed of their advance west, but even their own commanders, including Hitler. With sleep being the enemy of the soldier on the battlefield, the drugs were distributed to troops on a massive scale. Pervitin was widely used on the Eastern Front, but with disastrous results for the Nazis, who were eventually defeated by the Soviets and the weather.A major character in the book is Dr. Theodor Morell, a quack physician who became Hitler’s drug supplier. The author has uncovered detailed records kept by Morell, showing the types of drugs and specific doses and their frequency as administered to the Fuehrer. Toward the end of the war, Morell was constantly injecting Hitler with Eukodal, a powerful synthetic narcotic, and swabbing his gums with cocaine. It is a wonder that the dictator survived as long as he did.Today’s use of opiates and various other drugs pales in comparison to that which was taking place in Germany before and during World War II. Norman Ohler’s superb piece of scholarship and writing helps us understand how narcotics fueled demented German minds to commit such unspeakable deeds. Everyone interested in contemporary history should read this excellent book. [Blitzed, Drugs in Nazi Germany, by Norman Ohler and translated by Shaun Whiteside, Penguin Books, 2016]

Impressive!

D.D. · 15 October 2025

I thought I was fairly well informed about WWII, but time and again -thanks to books, documentaries and YouTube videos- I find that there is a lot more to learn. This book is a case in point. Although I was aware of the tendency of Dr Morell to feed Hitler way too many drugs, and of Göring's morphine addiction, I did not know how widespread drug (ab)use was throughout Nazi Germany and particularly its armed forces. It goes some way to explaining the amazing speed of the Blitzkrieg against France. The book is warmly recommended for those who take an interest in these matters. As a bonus, it also suggests a fairly plausible explanation for why Hitler ordered his troops to halt outside Dunkirk instead of pursuing the British and French forces amassed on its beaches.

El servicio de amazon impecable: puntual y cumpliendo las expectativas. Gracias.

Á.M. · 7 January 2017

Es libro era un regalo de Navidad para mi hijo. A él le ha encantado y yo lo tengo para leer en cuanto termine el que ya tengo empezado.

very well written,

s. · 30 October 2017

very well written , unknown aspects of how " a stoned german war machine created a " unbeatable nation of Thugs"