Ancient Greeks, Romans and the modern French preferred wine. Of course, different nations had different drinks of choice.
For centuries, rations of spirits inspired the so-called “Dutch courage” that propelled troops into battle. (Image source: WikiCommons) FortificationĪlcohol is the oldest and likely most popular pharmacological motivator of fighting men.
#Making history the second world war performance full
During the storied Age of Sail, Royal Navy seamen were issued a full gallon of beer a day. The truth is, soldiers have been fighting while high for much of history. And since long periods of boredom are also a part of war, soldiers have often reached for intoxicants because they simply have had not much else to do.ĭrugs and warfare have always gone hand in hand – from Homeric warriors drinking wine and taking opium to Wehrmacht troops popping methamphetamines. Drinking and drugging rituals have even helped soldiers bond, which is crucial for group cohesion and morale. Intoxicants also “take the edge off” war, enabling soldiers to cope with the traumas of the battlefield. Stimulants have long been known to enhance combat performance, keeping personnel awake, alert, and hence alive after prolonged periods of fatigue. He may very well have been speaking about military culture.Īlthough largely neglected by military history scholarship, intoxicants have been an integral part of war for centuries. THE PHILOSOPHER Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote that the history of narcotics is a study of culture itself.
(Image source: WikiCommons) “Drugs and warfare have always gone hand in hand – from Homeric warriors drinking wine and taking opium to Wehrmacht troops popping methamphetamines.”
Military history often overlooks the role narcotics have played in wartime. Germany wasn’t the only power in World War Two to hand out amphetamines to its assault troops to make them fight harder.