#481 – Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, Blitzkrieg, LSD, MKUltra & CIA
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
This captivating episode features historian Norman Ohler discussing his groundbreaking research on the role of psychoactive drugs in Nazi Germany, revealed through his book "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich." (00:38) Ohler uncovers how methamphetamine (Pervitin) became integral to the Wehrmacht's blitzkrieg strategy, with 35 million dosages distributed during the French campaign. (34:14) The conversation explores Hitler's complex relationship with his personal physician Dr. Theodor Morell, who administered a dangerous cocktail of opioids, vitamins, and experimental substances that may have influenced critical wartime decisions. (106:59) Beyond WWII, Ohler discusses his upcoming work "Stoned Sapiens," examining how psychoactive substances may have shaped human consciousness and civilization throughout history.
- Main Themes: The hidden role of drugs in Nazi military strategy, Hitler's personal drug use and its impact on decision-making, the systematic use of methamphetamine in blitzkrieg campaigns, and the broader relationship between consciousness-altering substances and human evolution.
Speakers
Norman Ohler
Norman Ohler is a bestselling German author and journalist who has revolutionized historical understanding through his meticulous archival research on drug use in Nazi Germany. His acclaimed work "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich" has been praised by legendary historians Ian Kershaw and Anthony Beevor as "very well researched serious piece of scholarship" and "remarkable work of research." He has also authored "The Bohemians" about German resistance fighters and "Tripped" examining the history of LSD, and is currently working on "Stoned Sapiens," exploring human civilization through the lens of psychoactive substances.
Key Takeaways
Methamphetamine Was Central to Nazi Military Strategy
The Wehrmacht's blitzkrieg success relied heavily on systematic methamphetamine distribution, with 35 million Pervitin tablets supplied during the French campaign. (33:34) Professor Ranke, head of the Institute for Army Physiology, discovered that methamphetamine could keep soldiers alert and combat-ready for days without sleep. This allowed German forces to execute their daring three-day push through the Ardennes Mountains, surprising French and British forces who were unprepared for this unprecedented pace of warfare. The drug eliminated fatigue - identified as the soldier's primary enemy - enabling continuous 24-hour operations that traditional armies couldn't match.
Hitler's Drug Addiction Influenced Critical War Decisions
Hitler's relationship with Dr. Morell began with simple vitamin injections but escalated into dangerous opioid dependency starting in August 1941. (106:59) The turning point came when Hitler, suffering from illness during Operation Barbarossa, received his first intravenous opioid injection. This gave him the confidence to override his generals and split German forces between Moscow, Leningrad, and the oil fields - arguably one of the war's most crucial strategic blunders. His escalating drug use, including regular Oikodal (oxycodone) injections and later cocaine, coincided with increasingly erratic decision-making that may have accelerated Germany's defeat.
Archival Research Can Revolutionize Historical Understanding
Ohler's discoveries demonstrate how traditional historians often miss crucial perspectives by avoiding uncomfortable topics. (23:09) His mentor, leading German historian Hans Mommsen, admitted that historians had missed the drug angle because "we historians don't understand drugs." By going directly to primary sources in German military archives, Ohler found detailed documentation of systematic drug use, including Professor Ranke's war diaries and correspondence with pharmaceutical companies. This methodical approach to previously unexplored archival material revealed how a single lens can illuminate entirely new dimensions of historical events.
Context Matters More Than Monocausal Explanations
While drug use played a significant role in Nazi military operations and Hitler's decision-making, Ohler emphasizes avoiding monocausal arguments. (31:09) The success of blitzkrieg required multiple factors: innovative tank tactics, the strategic decision to attack through the Ardennes, superior communication systems, and yes, methamphetamine to maintain the pace. Similarly, Hitler's poor decision-making stemmed from ideological fanaticism, strategic inexperience, and drug-induced impairment working together. The lesson for professionals is to consider multiple contributing factors when analyzing complex situations rather than seeking single explanations for complicated outcomes.
Primary Sources Trump Secondary Narratives
Ohler's research methodology emphasizes the critical importance of consulting original documents rather than relying on existing historical interpretations. (34:29) When he found Dr. Morell's detailed medical notes in federal archives - documents no historian had previously examined - entirely new perspectives on Hitler's final years emerged. These primary sources revealed the intimate relationship between Hitler and his doctor, including the daily injection routine that became central to Nazi leadership dynamics. For any professional seeking truth, this approach of going to original sources rather than accepting received wisdom can reveal insights that transform understanding.
Statistics & Facts
- 35 million Pervitin (methamphetamine) tablets were distributed to German forces during the French campaign in 1940, enabling the three-day blitzkrieg push through the Ardennes Mountains. (66:54)
- Hitler received injections from Dr. Morell nearly every day from 1936 to 1945, escalating from simple vitamins to dangerous opioids like Oikodal (oxycodone) by 1943. (106:59)
- In the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, the German Navy conducted human experiments testing drug combinations on prisoners, including methamphetamine mixed with cocaine in chewing gum form, seeking substances that would keep submariners alert for seven days. (26:00)
