It is well known that
German soldiers used a methamphetamine called Pervitin in WWII. It was also known as a “super-drug”
created in the 1930’s. The tales
about the German soldiers by 1941 may have hidden the massive use of stimulants
by British and American troops?
The Allied commanders referred to these drugs as “force enhancers." Historian James Holland has dug deeper
into this subject to reveal the truth.
One in three Allied soldiers were incapacitated without a physical
scratch on them. Modern weapons
and warfare were so much more terrifying.
Almost as many men were felled by combat fatigue and shell shock as
those who were killed. It is now
known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The continual firing of bullets, the noise and the flying shrapnel
caused PTSD but this diagnosis was unknown during this period. Benzedrine is an amphetamine similar to
Pervitin. Benzedrine was used to
fight sleep deprivation, anxiety and fear among the troops. How this drug affected the course of
WWII is an ongoing controversy and debate.
Secrets of the Dead
is produced by WNMET 13 New York and it is an ongoing PBS television series
beginning in 2000. The programs
incorporate primary source material, first-hand accounts, dramatic reenactments
and computer-generated images to tell the stories. James Holland is an English historian, author and
broadcaster specializing in the history of WWII. He set out to learn from experts about the use of drugs by
the Germans and Allied troops.
Some of these drugs and the packaging have been preserved as evidence of
their use. Using modern science
they can reconstruct some of the battle scenarios such as driving and being
inside a tank. 4 ½* (I really
liked this episode)
60
min, Doc, directed and written by Steven Hoggard with James Holland, Rasmus
Svihus, Peter Steinkamp, James Pugh, Edgar Jones, Astrid Ley.
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