High Hitler and His Nazi Supersoldiers
- Episode aired Jul 11, 2016
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7.1/10
16
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A huge drugs program fueled the Nazi war machine. Led by Hitler, himself possessed by narcotics, German troops consume millions of Crystal Meth tablets throughout the war, driving them to ex... Read allA huge drugs program fueled the Nazi war machine. Led by Hitler, himself possessed by narcotics, German troops consume millions of Crystal Meth tablets throughout the war, driving them to extremes.A huge drugs program fueled the Nazi war machine. Led by Hitler, himself possessed by narcotics, German troops consume millions of Crystal Meth tablets throughout the war, driving them to extremes.
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Based on sketchy "evidence", exaggeration, and second-hand accounts the evidence is poor for this story.
The premise of this documentary is that the massive issue of methamphetamine (specially a brand known at the time as "Pervitin") was the crucial, and "near war winning" edge that enabled German soldiers to achieve their rapid series of victories across Europe from 1939 on. According to this show, millions of doses of crystal meth were handed out from the arctic to North Africa from "day one of the war to the very end". While there is evidence that methamphetamine was issued, if not always used to German service personnel, in 50 years of study and research (on the German fighting man generally, not this small subset of the war) there is absolutely NO indication or solid evidence that Pervitin, nor any other drug (besides perhaps alcohol, which was without doubt the most common drug used by all sides on all fronts) was issued on an official or widespread basis to the German fighting man.
The dangers of Pervitin and methamphetamine were beginning to be known even byh 1939 and the Nazis moved rapidly to make it a controlled substance. From being over-the-counter for the asking before the war, during the war it went to being more controlled and less available (if only because the Germans had perpetual shortages of literally everything by 1942 if not earlier). I have read, heard of, and talked to scores of wartime accounts by German fighting men, and those who fought against them (who might presumably have captured evidence of such widespread drug abuse as alleged in this show) and I have found only ONE account of a German soldier who indicated he was given a (as in ONE) Pervitin by his unit commander. This was during a week long battle on the eastern front, the unit was going on its third day without sleep as the enemy was still attacking, and the alternative was to be slain in their sleep by the enemy. The soldier said he took the pill. Other than that, you would have to read hundreds if not thousands of accounts to find ANY indication of a soldier that even saw Pervitin, let alone was issued any - let alone such wide-spread and continuous (i.e. "daily") as this documentary alleges. The narrator states flatly "over 35 million doses of Pervitin were issued" during the war but produces no source nor evidence for this figure. Then the narrative launches into an account of Hitler's own drug use (courtesy of the "reich spritzenmeisster" Dr Theodore Morrell) as if this were any indication whatsoever, of what the ordinary German soldier was exposed to, issued, administered or had access to during the war. The 35 million doses" quoted may have been actually MADE but it is difficult to believe even a fraction of this was ever issued! Supply was always the German weak link during the war, the Germans were supplying fronts all over continental Eurasia, North Africa, Scandinavia plus hundreds of U-boat crews and shipments of ammunition, food, weapons and real medicines (such as penicillin and anti-malaria drugs) always had highest priority (and lines of communication were often cut off for days or weeks at a time even of essentials - yet the documentary would have us believe, and literally SAYS, that German soldiers on practically every front simply lined up for their daily dose of crystal meth).
The facts (that this documentary is very short of - since sources are quoted sporadically, and sometimes opinion is simply presented as fact and full stop) do not bear out the allegations of this documentary. Naturally it makes a fantastic documentary since the story hasn't been talked up much before since WW2 (perhaps that might be because this show is mostly exaggeration, done in the name of sensationalism). But aside from the account I mentioned, I have found almost NO German soldiers of any front that ever indicated they had access to Pervitin, or any other drug not alcohol. Take this show with a large grain of salt, or at least research the matter yourself before buying into this, really very silly documentary that is presented without facts, reliable quotes or non-apocryphal sources.
The dangers of Pervitin and methamphetamine were beginning to be known even byh 1939 and the Nazis moved rapidly to make it a controlled substance. From being over-the-counter for the asking before the war, during the war it went to being more controlled and less available (if only because the Germans had perpetual shortages of literally everything by 1942 if not earlier). I have read, heard of, and talked to scores of wartime accounts by German fighting men, and those who fought against them (who might presumably have captured evidence of such widespread drug abuse as alleged in this show) and I have found only ONE account of a German soldier who indicated he was given a (as in ONE) Pervitin by his unit commander. This was during a week long battle on the eastern front, the unit was going on its third day without sleep as the enemy was still attacking, and the alternative was to be slain in their sleep by the enemy. The soldier said he took the pill. Other than that, you would have to read hundreds if not thousands of accounts to find ANY indication of a soldier that even saw Pervitin, let alone was issued any - let alone such wide-spread and continuous (i.e. "daily") as this documentary alleges. The narrator states flatly "over 35 million doses of Pervitin were issued" during the war but produces no source nor evidence for this figure. Then the narrative launches into an account of Hitler's own drug use (courtesy of the "reich spritzenmeisster" Dr Theodore Morrell) as if this were any indication whatsoever, of what the ordinary German soldier was exposed to, issued, administered or had access to during the war. The 35 million doses" quoted may have been actually MADE but it is difficult to believe even a fraction of this was ever issued! Supply was always the German weak link during the war, the Germans were supplying fronts all over continental Eurasia, North Africa, Scandinavia plus hundreds of U-boat crews and shipments of ammunition, food, weapons and real medicines (such as penicillin and anti-malaria drugs) always had highest priority (and lines of communication were often cut off for days or weeks at a time even of essentials - yet the documentary would have us believe, and literally SAYS, that German soldiers on practically every front simply lined up for their daily dose of crystal meth).
The facts (that this documentary is very short of - since sources are quoted sporadically, and sometimes opinion is simply presented as fact and full stop) do not bear out the allegations of this documentary. Naturally it makes a fantastic documentary since the story hasn't been talked up much before since WW2 (perhaps that might be because this show is mostly exaggeration, done in the name of sensationalism). But aside from the account I mentioned, I have found almost NO German soldiers of any front that ever indicated they had access to Pervitin, or any other drug not alcohol. Take this show with a large grain of salt, or at least research the matter yourself before buying into this, really very silly documentary that is presented without facts, reliable quotes or non-apocryphal sources.
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- robertmaybeth
- Dec 17, 2019
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of High Hitler and His Nazi Supersoldiers (2016) in Australia?
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