German crime novelist Norman Ohler rocked the boat with historians when he published "Blitzed," his well-researched and compelling argument that Adolf Hitler was high as a kite during World War II.
"Nazi Junkies" (out now on DVD and Digital) is a documentary series that relies heavily on Ohler's research for "Episode 1: Hitler the Junkie," digging deep into the Führer's relationship with sketchy doctor Theodor Morell, a man whose "vitamin shots" were laced with cocaine and Eukodal, a German version of oxycodone.
Ohler appears in the documentary, which uses excellent footage from the war years to support the case that Hitler's questionable military decisions were fueled by the sense of invincibility his drug habit caused.
We've got an exclusive clip from "Hitler the Junkie" below.
"Episode 2: Nazi Junkies" explores the widespread use of methamphetamine in the German military. After its introduction in the 1930s, Pervitin became widely used all over Germany and was even sold mixed into chocolate bars. Meth supported the booming economy, and historical records indicated that it fueled the troops during the Blitzkrieg.
The use of drugs in battle by the Nazis is far more established in WWII historical literature, and this episode seems to have been made before Ohler's research into Hitler caused such a stir. His book also tells this story, but the novelist-turned-historian didn't participate in this part of the documentary.
The filmmakers make a point of emphasizing the fact that German doctors insisted that troops have their access to Pervitin severely curtailed before they began fighting on the Eastern Front. The size of the territory they aimed to conquer was far bigger than they'd tackled in Poland and France, but could their effectiveness have also been undercut by a lack of access to drugs?
Both episodes make the case that drugs were a critical part of Nazi Germany's rise and fall. The conclusions are logical, and the arguments are coherent. "Nazi Junkies" takes these arguments from history books and shares them with the audience that loves WWII documentaries. It's worth a look.
