High Hitler!

What effect, if any, did drugs have on the events of the Second World War or its outcome? German writer Norman Ohler's new book Blitzed reveals that Hitler and his Third Reich compatriots were on very familiar terms with cocaine, heroin, morphine and, above all, methamphetamines (aka crystal meth).

At a company called Temmler in Berlin, Dr Fritz Hauschild, its head chemist, inspired by the successful use of the American amphetamine Benzedrine at the 1936 Olympic Games, began trying to develop his own wonder drug – and a year later, he patented the first German methyl-amphetamine. Pervitin, as it was known, quickly became a sensation, used as a confidence booster and performance enhancer by everyone from secretaries to actors to train drivers (initially, it could be bought without prescription). It even made its way into confectionery. “Hildebrand chocolates are always a delight,” went the slogan.

More: The Guardian