A brief history of war and drugs: From Vikings to Nazis

From World War II to Vietnam and Syria, drugs are often as much a part of conflict as bombs and bullets.



STORY HIGHLIGHTS

The Nazis outlawed all drugs in Germany in 1933 when they seized power

In 1937, the group patented the first German methamphetamine, Pervitin

In July 1940, more than 35 million 3mg doses were shipped from their Temmler factory to the German army

When the Temmler factory was bombed, it marked the end of Nazi drug use

6 HOURS AGO
By Barbara McCarthy

Adolf Hitler was a junkie and the Nazis' narcotics intake gives new meaning to the term 'war on drugs'. But they weren't the only ones. Recent publications have revealed that narcotics are as much a part of conflict as bullets; often defining wars rather than sitting anecdotally on the sidelines of them.

In his book Blitzed, German author Norman Ohler describes how the Third Reich was permeated with drugs, including cocaine, heroin and most notably crystal meth, which was used by everyone from soldiers to housewives and factory workers.

Originally published in German as Der totale Rausch (The total Rush), the book details a history of abuse by Adolf Hitler and his henchmen and releases previously unpublished archived findings about Dr Theodor Morell, the personal physician who administered drugs to the German leader as well as to the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

"Hitler was a Fuhrer in his drug taking too. It makes sense, given his extreme personality," says Ohler, speaking from his home in Berlin.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2016/10/history-war-drugs-vikings-nazis-161005101505317.html