by Norman Ohler
52. Stephen Snelders and Toine Pieters, “Speed in the Third Reich: Methamphetamine (Pervitin) Use and a Drug History from Below,” Social History of Medicine, vol. 24 (2011), no. 3, pp. 686–99.
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53. Even today methamphetamine is extremely popular in this professional class. See also Hermann Müller-Bonn, “Pervitin, ein neues Analepticum,” Medizinische Welt, no. 39 (1939), pp. 1315–17. Quoted in Holzer, Die Geburt der Drogenpolitik, p. 230, and Pieper, Nazis on Speed, p. 115.
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54. Cf. W. Seifert, “Wirkungen des 1-Phenyl-2-methylaminopropan (Pervitin) am Menschen,” Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift, vol. 65 (1939), no. 23, pp. 914ff.
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55. Erich Neumann, “Bemerkungen über Pervitin,” Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, no. 33 (1939), p. 1266.
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56. Fritz Eichholtz, “Die zentralen Stimulantien der Adrenalin-Ephedrin-Gruppe,” in “Über Stimulantien,” Deutsche medizinische Wochenschrift (1941), pp. 1355–58. See also Reichsgesundheitsblatt, vol. 15 (1940), no. 206. On the instructions of the Reich Health Office the manufacture of these high-dosage chocolates was suspended. The Hildebrand Company also put on the market the caffeinated “Scho-Ka-Kola,” which still exists today.
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57. Fritz Hauschild, “Über eine wirksame Substanz,” Klinische Wochenschrift, vol. 17 (1938), no. 48, pp. 1257ff.
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58. Rudolf Schoen, “Pharmakologie und spezielle Therapie des Kreislaufkollapses,” in Verhandlungen der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kreislaufforschung, 1938, pp. 80–112, here p. 98. Quoted in Holzer, Die Geburt der Drogenpolitik, p. 219.
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59. See Otto Graf, “Über den Einfluss von Pervitin auf einige psychische und psychomotorische Funktionen,” Arbeitsphysiologie, vol. 10 (1939), no. 6, pp. 692–704, here p. 695.
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60. Gerhard Lemmel and Jürgen Hartwig, “Untersuchungen über die Wirkung von Pervitin und Benzedrin auf psychischem Gebiet,” Deutsches Archiv für klinische Medizin, vol. 185 (1940), nos. 5 and 6, pp. 626ff.
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61. C. Püllen, “Erfahrungen mit Pervitin,” Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, vol. 86 (1939), no. 26, pp. 1001–4.
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62. Sebastian Haffner, Anmerkungen zu Hitler, Munich, 1978, pp. 31ff.
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63. Golo Mann, Deutsche Geschichte des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts, Stuttgart/Mannheim, 1958, p. 177.
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2. Sieg High! (1939–1941)
1. Heinrich Böll, Briefe aus dem Krieg, 1939–45, Cologne, 2001, p. 15.
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2. Ibid., p. 16.
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3. Ibid., p. 30.
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4. Ibid., p. 26.
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5. Ibid., p. 81.
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6. Ibid., p. 22.
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7. K. Wenzig, Allgemeine Hygiene des Dienstes, Berlin/Heidelberg, 1936, pp. 288–307.
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8. Otto Ranke, “Ärztliche Fragen der technischen Entwicklung,” Veröff. D. Geb. d. Heeres-Sanitätswesens, vol. 109 (1939), p. 15. See also BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Ranke’s speech, “Performance Enhancement by Medical Means,” at the foundation anniversary dinner of the MA, February 19, 1939, pp. 7ff.: “Pervitin becomes particularly important in lengthy activity that is not physically exhausting, such as driving and flying for long distances, where sleep is traditionally the most dangerous enemy.”
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9. BArch-Freiburg 12–23/1882, Radical inspectors, October 4, 1938.
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10. BArch-Freiburg 12–23/1882, Ranke’s lecture on stimulants, February 1940, never delivered, p. 6, and Ranke’s report to Lehrgruppe C about performance-enhancing substitutes, May 4, 1939.
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11. When German troops marched into the Sudetenland in 1938 they had also had positive experiences with Pervitin. See BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, “Reports on the Use of Pervitin, Here with Unit N.A.39.”
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12. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Ranke’s speech, “Performance Enhancement by Medical Means,” p. 7.
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13. Gottfried Benn, “Provoziertes Leben: Ein Essay,” in Benn, Sämtliche Werke, vol. IV: Prosa 2, Stuttgart, 1989, p. 318.
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14. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, letter from the director of the Physiological Institute of Vienna University to Ranke, December 8, 1941.
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15. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, letter from Ranke to Lehrgruppe C, May 4, 1939.
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16. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, letter from Ranke to Generalarzt Kittel, August 25, 1939.
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17. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report to Ranke about the use of Pervitin.
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18. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Wehrphysiologisches Institut der Militärärztlichen Akademie, annex to report 214 a, April 8, 1940.
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19. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report to Ranke about the use of Pervitin.
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20. Ibid.
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21. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report from Dr. Wirth, concerning “Use of Pervitin as a Tonic,” December 30, 1939.
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22. As for example in the 20th Infantry Division. See BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1842, report from Staff Surgeon Dr. Krüger.
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23. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report to Ranke about the use of Pervitin.
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24. Ibid.
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25. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report from Senior Surgeon Grosselkeppler, April 6, 1940.
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26. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report from Senior Staff Surgeon Schmidt to Ranke, March 25, 1940. See also BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/271, report from Ranke to Lehrgruppe C, January 13, 1940, and BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, report from Staff Surgeon Dr. Krüger.
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27. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, “Experiences with Pervitin and Similar Substances,” army doctor AOK 6 (Haubenreisser), April 15, 1940.
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28. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, “Experiences with Pervitin, Elastonon etc.,” corps doctor, IV Army Corps (Günther), April 8, 1940.
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29. Hanno Ballhausen (ed.), Chronik des Zweiten Weltkrieges, Munich, 2004, p. 27.
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30. Golo Mann, Deutsche Geschichte des 19. und 20. Jahrhunderts, Stuttgart/Mannheim, 1958, pp. 915ff.
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31. Bernhard R. Kroener, “Die personellen Ressourcen des Dritten Reiches im Spannungsfeld zwischen Wehrmacht, Bürokratie und Kriegswirtschaft, 1939–1942,” in Rolf-Dieter Müller and Hans Umbreit, Das Deutsche Reich und der Zweite Weltkrieg, vol. 5.1: Organisation und Mobilisierung des Deutschen Machtbereichs, Kriegsverwaltung, Wirtschaft und personelle Ressourcen, 1939–1941, Stuttgart, 1988, p. 826.
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32. See Karl-Heinz Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende: Der Westfeldzug 1940, Munich, 2012, pp. 11, 43, and 57.
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33. Albert Speer, Inside the Third Reich, trans. Richard and Clara Winston, London, 1970.
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34. BArch-Freiburg RH 2/768, files relating to Halder, Hans-Adolf, Bl. 6 (reverse).
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35. BArch-Freiburg H 20/285/7, Wehrphysiologisches Institut, October 16, 1939, “Concerning: ‘Pervitin.’ ” See also letter to Winkler, October 16. 1939, as well as RH 12–23/1644 and Ranke’s war diary, entry for January 4, 1940.
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36. BArch-Freiburg RH12–23/1644, Ranke’s war diary, entry for December 8, 1939.
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37. BArch-Freiburg RH12–23/1644, letter from Ranke to Zechlin, January 24, 1940. See also BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Ranke’s speech, “Performance Enhancement by Medical Means,” at the celebration of the founding of the
MA, February 19, 1939, p. 5: “I must confirm for myself and all my assistants that we have always hurled ourselves enthusiastically into our work when on Pervitin, and had a sense that even difficult work is accomplished more easily, and that the decision to take on difficult tasks is made very much more easily.”
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38. BArch-Freiburg RH12–23/1644, Ranke’s war diary, entry for November 8, 1939, p. 6.
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39. Ibid., entry for November 19, 1939, p. 16.
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40. Eva Kramer, “Die Pervitingefahr,” Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, vol. 88 (1941), no. 15, pp. 419ff.
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41. Liebendörfer, “Pervitin in der Hand des praktischen Nervenarztes,” Münchener medizinische Wochenschrift, vol. 87 (1940), no. 43, p. 1182.
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42. Benn, “Provoziertes Leben: ein Essay,” p. 317.
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43. BArch-Berlin R22/1475, Bl. 395, Conti to Reich justice ministry, on October 21, 1939.
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44. BArch-Berlin R36/1360, “To the Honorary Members of the Former RfR,” October 19, 1939.
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45. Reichsgesetzblatt 1 (1939), p. 2176; Reichsgesundheitsblatt (1940), p. 9: “Phenylaminopropan und seine Salze (z.B. Benzedrin, Aktedron, Elastonon) und Phenylmethylaminopropan und seine Salze (z.B. Pervitin) sind durch die Polizeiverordnung des Reichsministeriums des Innern über die Abgabe von Leberpräparaten und anderen Arzneimitteln in den Apotheken dem jedesmaligen Rezeptzwang unterstellt.”
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46. Leonardo Conti, “Vortrag des Reichsgesundheitsführers Dr. Conti vor dem NSD-Ärztebund, Gau Berlin, am 19. März 1940, im Berliner Rathaus,” Deutsches Ärzteblatt, vol. 70 (1940), no. 13, pp. 145–53, here p. 150.
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47. Ernst Speer, “Das Pervitinproblem,” Deutsches Ärzteblatt, vol. 71 (1941), no. 1, pp. 4–6 and 15–19, here p. 19. See also Tilmann Holzer, Die Geburt der Drogenpolitik aus dem Geist der Rassehygiene: Deutsche Drogenpolitik von 1933 bis 1972, inaugural dissertation, Mannheim, 2006, pp. 238ff.
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48. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1575, letter from Conti to Handloser, February 17, 1940, and Handloser’s reply to Conti, February 26, 1940.
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49. “By shifting the focus to the southern wing, the strong enemy forces to be expected in northern Belgium must be cut off and thus destroyed.” RH 19 I/41, Akten HGr 1: draft of a note by Manstein for the war diary, February 17, 1940, Anl. 51 (Bl. 174 f.); see also BArch-Freiburg RH 19 I/26, Notiz über Führer-Vortrag, Bl. 121 f.
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50. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 81.
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51. BArch-Freiburg, posthumous papers of Erich von Manstein, Notiz Nr. 32.
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52. Anton Waldmann, unpublished diary, entry for April 13, 1940, “Wehrgeschichtliche Lehrsammlung des Sanitätsdienstes der Bundeswehr.”
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53. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Ranke’s speech, “Performance Enhancement by Medical Means,” as well as Ranke’s lecture on stimulants, written February 1940 (not delivered).
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54. Ibid., letter from the corps doctor, Gruppe von Kleist, Dr. Schmidt, to Ranke, April 15, 1940.
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55. Ibid., Army Medical Inspector, April 17, 1940, “Re Stimulants,” including appendix 1 and appendix 2.
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56. Ibid.
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57. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1884, “Delivery of Pervitin and Isophen from the Main Medical Depot to Army and Luftwaffe.”
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58. BArch-Freiburg RH 21–1/19, Ia/op Nr. 214/40, March 21, 1940, p. 2.
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59. Karl Wahl, . . . Es ist das deutsche Herz, Augsburg, 1954, p. 246. See also Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, Tagebuchaufzeichnung und Lagebeurteilungen aus zwei Weltkriegen. Aus dem Nachlass, ed. with a biographical sketch by Georg Meyer, Stuttgart, 1976, in Beiträge zur Militär- und Kriegsgeschichte, vol. 16, p. 184.
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60. According to Guderian, this was a “turn of phrase that he himself used often.” See also Heinz Guderian, Erinnerung eines Soldaten, Stuttgart, 1960, p. 95.
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61. Interview in Die Zeit magazine, May 7, 2015, p. 50.
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62. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 114.
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63. Ibid., p. 136.
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64. The division consisted of just under 400 officers, 2,000 NCOs, and about 9,300 soldiers.
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65. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882; see, for example, the “Outline of a Report on Experiments with Stimulants,” February 23, 1940, p. 2: “The next night two tablets each were given to driver and co-driver, with the instruction to keep them in the fold of the field cap and take them as necessary, but no later than one o’clock in the morning.”
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66. See also Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, pp. 195ff.
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67. Wolfgang Fischer, Ohne die Gnade der späten Geburt, Munich, 1990, pp. 62ff.
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68. BArch-Freiburg N802/62, Guderian papers, “From the 3rd Report on the Journeys of the Commanding General During the French Operation,” Bl. 008.
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69. Ibid., Bl. 010.
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70. Marc Bloch, Strange Defeat, trans. Gerard Manley Hopkins, Oxford, 1949, pp. 93ff.
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71. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 219.
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72. Oral testimony.
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73. Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 419.
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74. This refers not only to the Second World War but to the conventional waging of war even in the present day, in which tanks no longer play such a great part.
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75. The so-called Rucksack Principle. These first days of the campaign demonstrate the crucial extent to which a military operation is determined by supplies on a logistical level—the bottom level. See also, in this context, Johann Adolf Graf von Kielmannsegg, Panzer zwischen Warschau und Atlantik, Berlin, 1941, p. 161.
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76. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 162.
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77. BArch-Freiburg N802/62, Guderian papers, “From the 3rd Report on the Journeys of the Commanding General During the French Operation,” Bl. 007 u. Bl. 011/012.
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78. Winston Churchill, The Second World War, vol. 2, book 1, Stuttgart, 1948–49, p. 61 [London, 1949].
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79. BArch-Koblenz N1348, letter from Morell to his wife, June 3, 1940.
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80. Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 336.
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81. Quoted in ibid., p. 326.
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82. Churchill, The Second World War, p. 244.
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83. Edmund Ironside, Diaries, 1937–1940, New York, 1962, p. 317. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 325.
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84. Franz Halder, Kriegstagebuch: Tägliche Aufzeichnungen des Chefs des Generalstabes des Heeres, 1939–1942, vol. 1, Stuttgart, 1964, p. 302. Quoted in Frieser, Die Blitzkrieg-Legende, p. 322.
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85. Ibid.
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86. BArch-Koblenz N1348, letter from Morell to his wife, May 26, 1940.
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87. Ibid., May 28, 1940.
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88. Ibid.
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89. Ironside, Diaries, 1937–1940, p. 333.
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90. Hans-Josef Hansen, Felsennest, das vergessene Hauptquartier in der Eifel, Aachen, 2008, p. 81.
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91. Deutsche Wochenschau, no. 22, May 22, 1940.
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92. The Gestapo industriously collected information about Göring’s addiction. See,
for example, Albert Speer, Erinnerungen, Frankfurt am Main, 1969, p. 278.
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93. Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger, Zentralorgan für die Reichshauptstadt, Tagesausgabe Großberlin, June 1, 1940, p. 1.
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94. Quoted in Reinhard Hesse, Geschichtswissenschaft in praktischer Absicht, Stuttgart, 1979, p. 144.
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95. Quoted in Dermot Bradley, Walther Wenck, General der Panzertruppe, Osnabrück, 1982, p. 146.
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96. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1931, Bericht über die Kommandierung zur Gruppe Kleist, July 12, 1940.
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97. Ibid.
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98. BArch-Koblenz N1348, letter from Morell to his wife, June 3, 1940.
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99. Unpublished war diary of the army medical inspector, made available by Dr. Volker Hartmann, Bundeswehr Medical Academy.
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100. BArch-Freiburg ZA 3/163, war diary of Otto Hoffmann von Waldau, head of the Luftwaffe leadership staff March 1939 until April 10, 1942, entry for May 25, 1940. Cf. also BArch-Freiburg ZA 3/163, Schmid, Feldzug gegen Frankreich 1940, and BArch-Freiburg ZA 3/58, USAF History Project, p. 16, in Ob.d.L./Führungsstab Ic, Nr. 10641/40 geh., Überblick über den Einsatz der Luftwaffe bei den Operationen in den Niederlanden, in Belgien und Nordfrankreich, June 3, 1940.
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101. Heinz Guderian, Erinnerungen eines Soldaten, Stuttgart, 1986, p. 118.
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102. “Sturmfahrt bis zur Grenze der Schweiz,” Berliner Lokal-Anzeiger, Zentralorgan für die Reichshauptstadt, Tagesausgabe Grossberlin, June 20, 1940, p. 2.
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103. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1931, “Report on the Commanding of the Kleist Group,” July 12, 1940.
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104. Ibid.
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105. Ibid.
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106. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, letter from Senior Physician Dr. Seyffardt, “Re Vitamin Abuse,” to Senior Physician Dr. Althoff, May 16, 1941, Feldpost no.: 28806.
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107. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, memo from Ranke, April 25, 1941.
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108. BArch-Freiburg RH 12–23/1882, Ranke to staff medic Dr. Scholz, May 27, 1941.
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109. IfZArch, MA 617, Roll 2, see letter from Hamma Company to Morell, May 27, 1941: substances naturally containing vitamins in the SRK distribution include rosehip powder, rye grains, aneurin, and nicotine acid; flavoring agents include “full milk powder, cocoa and some cocoa butter.”
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