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A review by trivial_reads
Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler
4.0
I picked up "Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich" by Norman Ohler while attempting (and spectacularly failing) to conquer the first challenge of the "2025 StoryGraph Onboarding Challenge." Spoiler alert: it didn’t count toward my goal, but wow—what a wild, drug-fueled romp through history! Who knew methamphetamines were practically a staple in the Third Reich pantry? Meth-laced chocolates at the grocery store? Not saying I’m eager to time travel to Nazi Germany, but let’s be real—imagine the productivity boost!
This quick, punchy read dives headfirst into the drug spectacle of Nazi Germany on two fronts: the literal battlefields, where hopped-up soldiers fought like they were in a twisted action movie, and Hitler’s own bloodstream, courtesy of his personal pill-pusher, Dr. Morell. The Blitzkrieg wasn’t just a clever strategy—it was a full-on party fueled by Pervitin-laced adrenaline! Sure, it helped soldiers battle for days without blinking, but as Ohler reminds us, what goes up must come crashing down in a glorious disaster. By the time everything started falling apart, the Nazis were basically running on fumes and some truly poor life choices.
Then there’s Hitler, whose pharmaceutical buffet makes your local pharmacy look like a quaint corner shop. Morell’s syringe menu included everything from vitamins to concoctions made of questionable animal parts. But it was when he started pumping Hitler full of Eukodal (the fancy name for oxycodone), cocaine, and possibly Pervitin that things truly went off the rails. Ohler makes a solid case that Hitler’s erratic behaviour and ultimate meltdown had less to do with grand ideology and more to do with, well, drug withdrawal when the supply chains dried up. Talk about a crash landing!
To his credit, Ohler admits that some of his conclusions are built on thin evidence and a sprinkle of creative license. But honestly, portraying Hitler as a strung-out mess? It tracks. Even if he had to jump through a few hoops to get there, I didn’t mind—it was just too entertaining. Plus, it’s a cheeky reminder that history’s worst villains can still be sidelined by their appalling personal habits.
This quick, punchy read dives headfirst into the drug spectacle of Nazi Germany on two fronts: the literal battlefields, where hopped-up soldiers fought like they were in a twisted action movie, and Hitler’s own bloodstream, courtesy of his personal pill-pusher, Dr. Morell. The Blitzkrieg wasn’t just a clever strategy—it was a full-on party fueled by Pervitin-laced adrenaline! Sure, it helped soldiers battle for days without blinking, but as Ohler reminds us, what goes up must come crashing down in a glorious disaster. By the time everything started falling apart, the Nazis were basically running on fumes and some truly poor life choices.
Then there’s Hitler, whose pharmaceutical buffet makes your local pharmacy look like a quaint corner shop. Morell’s syringe menu included everything from vitamins to concoctions made of questionable animal parts. But it was when he started pumping Hitler full of Eukodal (the fancy name for oxycodone), cocaine, and possibly Pervitin that things truly went off the rails. Ohler makes a solid case that Hitler’s erratic behaviour and ultimate meltdown had less to do with grand ideology and more to do with, well, drug withdrawal when the supply chains dried up. Talk about a crash landing!
To his credit, Ohler admits that some of his conclusions are built on thin evidence and a sprinkle of creative license. But honestly, portraying Hitler as a strung-out mess? It tracks. Even if he had to jump through a few hoops to get there, I didn’t mind—it was just too entertaining. Plus, it’s a cheeky reminder that history’s worst villains can still be sidelined by their appalling personal habits.