WW2 German Super Soldiers High on Meth

The combat experience in Poland and France showed that soldiers using methamphetamine were showing clear signs of superiority in combat. They fought without fear and, above all, didn’t get tired. The case, however, also showed the harmful effects of the stimulant. Its excessive use led to physical and mental exhaustion, as Reich Health Führer warned in 1939. These negative side effects led to the ban of Pervitin by the Reich Opium Law in June 1941.

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Created by Daniel Turner (B.A. (Hons) in History, University College London)

Narrator:

Bryan 'Lazlo' Beauregard

[hoshika]

officer: "are these drugs?"
me: "no officer these are my incredible non-detrimental brain food"

[itz_ex_]

Imagine being an Allied soldier fresh out of high school and on your first day of combat, you see a drugged up German screaming and charging you with a MG42

Edit: Ik you can’t actually charge at someone with a MG42. This ain’t Battlefield V. It’s just a joke.

[gus]

One of the top German scientists at the time was the original Heisenberg, the guy Walter names himself after

[indianajones]

When your Army isn’t up to Pollos standards

[mckrunchytoast]

Need an episode on the Finnish soilder Aimo Koivunen too, took his units worth of meth and went on a rampage on ski's for weeks.

[Le_cuisinier.du-chienne]

Allied solders: are you high?
German soldiers: very heil.

[spectre]

This channel is proudly sponsored by the CIA

[DarthBaras]

In 2011 I met a US veteran who fought in Normandy back in 1944. He told me he one time came across a POW German officer who, and these are his words, "had a wide, toothy grin with bloodshot eyes." I then asked him if he had ever heard of Pervitin (he said no). I explained to him what it was and what it was used for. He then looked and me and said that before he was sent home in 1945 some of his buddy's pressured him to try some. Told him they were Lifesavers. He didn't take them.

[robertdeen]

There was the one Finnish soldier who was running, actually skiing away from the Russians.
He was getting very tired and thought he could take a couple of tabs. Problem was, they had froze into on big chunk, so he ate them all.
That put him on a crazy trip that lasted a few days. He saw dancing bears and skied right through Russian camps. He eventually came down and found his way back to his side of the lines.

[gamerchair]

My therapist: Simple History using soldiers with detailed face doesn't exist, it cant hurt you
Simple History:

[skeletonsquid]

I remember my great grandmother who worked as a frontline nurse had a wounded soilder tell her about how the germans "looked like they got salt in they're eyes, and where happy as a clam about it". years later i find out what that truly was

[Achillez]

Kudos to the animation team on this episode!
The image of a German soldier running and gunning with a massive, drug-induced grin on his face will never get old xD

[Mr]

It was sharply cut back on in the military as well though. After the side effects were discovered. Not just being prone to self harm but being absolutely useless for two days after the effects wore off.

[keiichisatow]

This is the moment when Walter White turned into Hindenburg

[redadamearth]

U.S. soldiers used benzedrine, another form of speed. The tablets were in every enlisted man's kit. It's not something often shown in WW2 films, but it was absolutely vital, especially during long battles. This is why benzedrine became so popular with the Beat Generation in the late 40's and 50's, as a lot of soldiers became addicted to it and there was a huge black market for it. Writers like Kerouac used it constantly, as they found it could keep them writing for days.

[cannonball]

German to Italian comrade: "Have some meth, dude"
Italian soldier drinking wine: "Man, I don't mix uppers with downers"

[TheUserUnknown]

A Japanese chemistry first synthesized methamphetamine in 1893. It was difficult to process until in 1919 another Japanese chemist named Akira Ogata streamlined and simplified the process. The Germans further advanced the technique.

[mk-]

In 2008, a high school chemistry teacher in New Mexico perfected the process of field synthesis of the process

[yolodolo]

I fought a guy high on meth once, he's not your typical skinny homeless meth addict living on the street. He's a regular dude that happens to smoke meth. I gotta tell you it was very hard to fight this guy, almost seemed like his pain tolerance was through the roof.

[catjack]

The allies also had their own version after they discovered crashed stuka planes with pervitin cases. Before that nobody could explain how stuka pilots were able to maneuver their famous stuka dive without passing out and pervitin was the answer. When Allied scientists discovered that, they were quick to replicate it to make their own version and for a long time durin WWII both sides were high as a kite on it until it was gradually taken out, at least from the public eye, because their side effects after years of abuse became too clear and unavoidable.