The SCARIEST Side of Nazis on Meth *Warning HARD TO STOMACH
In the height of World War II, as the world’s most powerful military force was marching across Europe, there was a hidden weapon—one not made of steel or gunpowder, but something much more insidious. It wasn’t a bomb or a missile, but a small pill that transformed soldiers into relentless, sleepless warriors. That pill was methamphetamine, known in Nazi Germany by the brand name Pervitin. Over 35 million pills were distributed to German soldiers, helping to fuel one of the most disturbing drug programs in history—one that not only altered the course of the war but also devastated the minds of the soldiers who fought in it.
The Birth of Pervitin
It all began in 1937, when a German chemist named Fritz Hauschild wrote an article for a medical journal touting the remarkable effects of a new synthetic stimulant—methamphetamine. This drug, developed by the Berlin-based pharmaceutical company Temmler, was marketed as a solution to everything from fatigue to lack of focus. At first, Pervitin wasn’t seen as anything dangerous. It was sold openly in pharmacies, just like aspirin, and it promised mental clarity, increased energy, and a mood boost. People embraced it with enthusiasm, consuming it for everything from work-related fatigue to exam stress.
The drug quickly gained popularity across Germany. It was marketed not only as a productivity enhancer but also as a “pick-me-up” that could make anyone feel more energetic. As the war began, the drug’s usefulness took on a darker turn. Soldiers needed something that could keep them awake for days on end, something that would block out hunger, pain, and fear. Pervitin was the perfect solution. But what began as a casual stimulant for a society eager to be more productive soon became the very foundation of the Nazi war machine’s brutality.
The Military’s Obsession with Speed
By 1939, as tensions in Europe escalated, the Wehrmacht (the German military) recognized the need for something to give their troops a performance edge. General Heinz Guderian, famous for his role in Blitzkrieg tactics, needed his troops to move fast, to be relentless, and to act without hesitation. The solution came in the form of Pervitin. Soldiers in the German military were issued the drug, which allowed them to march for hours or even days without rest, to operate tanks and aircraft on little sleep, and to push through grueling conditions in a state of manic focus.
The Wehrmacht Medical Department, under Dr. Otto Ranke at the University of Berlin’s Military Medical Academy, studied Pervitin’s effects in controlled conditions. Their tests showed that the drug could increase physical endurance by up to 30%, keeping soldiers awake for up to 72 hours without the normal signs of fatigue. It was exactly what they needed for the Blitzkrieg strategy—fast, overwhelming, and unrelenting.
In the invasion of Poland in 1939, the first large-scale test of Pervitin on the battlefield proved a success. Soldiers who took the drug performed better, working longer hours and pushing through battle without the usual signs of exhaustion. Encouraged by these results, the Wehrmacht ordered mass production and began distributing the drug on a massive scale, ensuring that every unit had access to it.
Blitzkrieg on Drugs
By 1940, as the German forces prepared to invade France, the drug had become an integral part of the military’s arsenal. Over 35 million Pervitin tablets were distributed to the Wehrmacht in the months leading up to the invasion. The goal was clear—speed. To catch the Allies off guard, German forces needed to move fast, and Pervitin made that possible. Infantry units, tank divisions, and pilots were all given the drug before their attacks. Soldiers marched over 500 kilometers in a matter of days, often without sleep, food, or any significant rest. Some of the most elite divisions were given even larger doses, ensuring they could stay awake and active, pushing themselves far beyond normal human limits.
However, the effects of the drug weren’t just physical. Pervitin didn’t just keep soldiers awake—it also dulled their emotions. Soldiers reported feeling detached from the usual emotional responses they would have to the death and destruction around them. Some admitted that they felt no empathy during battle, and this lack of emotional inhibition contributed to the brutality of the German military’s actions. Civilians were treated harshly, prisoners were executed without hesitation, and military discipline became unpredictable. Soldiers, under the influence of the drug, acted without orders, sometimes firing on targets for no reason at all.
But what began as a quick fix soon turned into a deadly addiction. Soldiers who initially took the drug to keep going for a few days found themselves increasingly reliant on it to get through the long, exhausting battles. Some soldiers were taking five or six tablets a day, pushing their bodies beyond the point of no return. The side effects became undeniable: hallucinations, muscle spasms, paranoia, and erratic behavior. Many soldiers, once full of energy, began to experience deep psychological breakdowns, some of them turning their weapons on themselves or their fellow soldiers during drug-induced psychosis.
The Darker Side of the Drug
By 1941, the use of Pervitin had spiraled out of control. The addiction was widespread across all branches of the military. It created not just physical dependence but a deep psychological toll. Soldiers couldn’t function without the drug. When the meth wore off, they crashed—mentally and physically. Some would sleep for days, while others suffered from extreme anxiety and panic attacks. The high command knew that the drug’s effects were starting to take a toll, but they continued distributing it, seeing the short-term benefits far outweighing the long-term risks.
By the time the German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the need for Pervitin had grown even greater. The soldiers were forced to march vast distances in harsh conditions, and once again, the drug was handed out in larger quantities to help them push through. However, the campaign soon started to deteriorate. The resistance from Soviet forces was far stronger than anticipated, and the harsh winter conditions began to take a toll. Soldiers who had been kept awake for days on end by methamphetamine started to mentally and physically collapse, their bodies breaking down, their minds unraveling.
The Super-Soldier Experiment
By 1942, the Nazis were desperate. Their plans to create an invincible army had hit serious snags. Methamphetamine was no longer enough. They turned to something even darker: the creation of a “super-soldier.” The SS began testing higher doses of methamphetamine, combined with cocaine and oxycodone, in an attempt to create soldiers who could endure even more extreme conditions without feeling fear, pain, or fatigue.
The results were catastrophic. Prisoners from the concentration camps were forced to participate in these experiments. They were given the drug and subjected to grueling physical tasks, such as marching for hours with heavy loads. The effects of the drug were horrifying—some prisoners suffered from severe hallucinations, others collapsed mid-step, and many died from the strain. This “super-soldier” program, which was focused entirely on performance rather than humanity, was the final twisted chapter in the Nazi drug experiments.
The Legacy of Nazi Meth
When Nazi Germany surrendered in May 1945, the world was left to pick up the pieces. But the horrors of methamphetamine use didn’t disappear with the collapse of the Third Reich. In fact, the drug’s legacy lived on. After the war, Allied forces discovered vast stockpiles of Pervitin pills in abandoned military depots, hospitals, and even in the homes of civilians who had kept it as a “performance booster.”
Across Europe, methamphetamine quietly spread into civilian life, used by truck drivers to stay awake, athletes to enhance their performance, and students to focus during exams. The drug that had fueled Nazi soldiers’ terrifying speed and brutality found a new life on the black market.
In the years following World War II, the destructive power of methamphetamine continued to haunt Germany, Japan, and many other nations, leaving a trail of addiction, mental illness, and death. The Nazi experiments with Pervitin, once seen as a tool for victory, had shown just how devastating the pursuit of perfection could be when the human mind and body were pushed to their absolute limits.
The story of Nazi Germany’s meth epidemic is a chilling reminder of the dark side of war and science. What began as a tool to create better soldiers ended up creating a broken army, addicted to a drug that erased the very essence of what made them human.
