For educational purposes only. This article discusses historical events connected to the Second World War and the Nazi dictatorship. It does not glorify violence, hatred, or National Socialist ideology.
Hermann Göring was one of the most influential leaders of Nazi Germany. He commanded the Luftwaffe, served as president of the Reichstag, and was considered a potential successor to Adolf Hitler for many years. After being convicted during the Nuremberg trials, he died in custody in October 1946, before his sentence could be carried out.
His medical history also attracted considerable attention in later years. Historical documents indicate that Göring was dependent on powerful painkillers for many years. This dependency may have affected his physical health, emotional stability, and ability to make sound judgements. However, it does not in any way excuse his political decisions or diminish his responsibility within the Nazi regime.
- The origins of the dependency
Göring’s use of medication is generally linked to the injuries he suffered during the failed Munich Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923. He was seriously wounded during this violent attempt to seize power. His persistent pain was subsequently treated with morphine.
What initially began as medical treatment gradually developed into a long-term dependency through repeated use. By the time the National Socialists came to power in 1933, Göring had already been struggling with the problem for many years.
His powerful position made treatment and control of the dependency particularly difficult. As an influential senior official, he had almost unlimited access to doctors, medicines, and other medical resources. Those around him also had little opportunity to challenge him or impose restrictions. His power therefore did not help him overcome the dependency, but instead allowed it to continue for years.
This is perhaps one of the most striking aspects of his medical history: even immense political power cannot protect a person from individual vulnerability. In a dictatorship, however, that same power can allow personal problems to be concealed, ignored, or even sustained by those nearby.
- The severity and possible influence
Historical accounts describe Göring’s dependency as severe and known within certain circles at the highest levels of the Nazi regime. Some sources even claim that he possessed a specially made gold syringe. Such accounts should be approached cautiously, but they illustrate how closely his use of medication became associated with his privileged lifestyle.
People who observed Göring closely described periods of pronounced mood swings, excessive self-confidence, and a powerful sense of being untouchable. It is difficult to determine precisely how much of this behaviour was caused by medication. His personality, ideology, political power, and the closed environment of the regime also played important roles.
In his book “Blitzed”, German writer Norman Ohler argues that drug use and dependency should be considered when examining decision-making at the highest levels of the Third Reich. According to this interpretation, substances can influence the behaviour of powerful leaders, particularly when their decisions are subject to almost no meaningful oversight.
Some researchers have connected Göring’s confidence in the capabilities of the Luftwaffe with controversial military decisions, including those surrounding the events at Dunkirk in 1940. More than 300,000 Allied servicemen were eventually evacuated from France through the area.
Historians, however, continue to disagree about the precise causes of the situation. Strategic considerations, terrain conditions, logistical difficulties, command structures, and Hitler’s own decisions all played a part. It would therefore be overly simplistic to attribute Göring’s attitude entirely to his dependency.
Nevertheless, the possibility that such a powerful official may have exercised poorer judgement because of prolonged medication use remains deeply troubling. When personal instability is combined with almost unlimited power, the consequences can extend far beyond the life of a single individual.
- What the medical records revealed
Following Göring’s capture, Allied investigators were able to examine his health and medication use more closely. Medical reports and other documents supported earlier accounts that he had consumed large quantities of substances over a prolonged period.
The available evidence indicated serious physical strain and a deeply established dependency. During his detention, his access to medication was restricted and he was placed under medical supervision. This made it clearer how closely his everyday functioning had become connected to the substances he used.
The historical importance of these documents extends beyond the diagnosis of one individual. Above all, they demonstrate how personal difficulties, almost unlimited access to medication, and the absence of effective oversight could reinforce one another at the highest level of a dictatorship.
In a democratic system, at least in principle, institutions exist to supervise those who hold power and establish limits on their authority. Under the Nazi regime, such mechanisms had largely been destroyed. The people surrounding Göring depended on his favour, while openly criticising him could be dangerous. As a result, both his political conduct and his personal problems continued for a long time without serious scrutiny.
A clear distinction must nevertheless be maintained. An illness or dependency may help explain a person’s behaviour, but it never removes responsibility for deliberate political decisions. Göring played a central role in a regime that organised persecution, war, and suffering on a vast scale. His personal vulnerabilities do not alter that responsibility.
- Drug use in the Third Reich
Göring’s situation was not entirely isolated. Historical research has demonstrated that stimulants were used extensively within the German armed forces. Methamphetamine, sold under the brand name Pervitin, was distributed in particular to suppress fatigue and keep soldiers awake and active for longer periods.
The substance was used during prolonged military operations in which speed and endurance were considered essential. In the short term, it could increase alertness, but repeated consumption carried serious physical and psychological risks.
Adolf Hitler also received numerous medicines and other substances from his personal physician, Theodor Morell. Historical documents describe an increasingly complicated medical routine. Researchers continue to debate the exact composition and influence of these treatments, but it is clear that intensive medication use was not exceptional among the highest-ranking members of the Nazi regime.
Göring’s case was especially notable because of the long duration of his dependency and the enormous political and military influence he exercised. For years, the true severity of the problem remained largely hidden behind his rank, wealth, propaganda, and carefully constructed public image.
Only after the collapse of the regime, his capture, and the examination of his medical records did a fuller picture emerge. Behind the uniforms, decorations, and official portraits was a man who had become dependent on substances to which his powerful position had given him almost unlimited access.
This history is not an attempt to portray Göring in a more sympathetic light or to offer forgiveness. It does, however, show that authoritarian systems are led by individuals with personal weaknesses, fears, and dependencies. When such people face no effective oversight, their personal failings can become intertwined with ideology and immense political power.
This is precisely what makes the subject historically significant. It reminds us that power without supervision not only enables abuse but can also conceal and intensify personal instability. The consequences may ultimately affect millions of people.
Main sources:
Norman Ohler, “Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich”, 2016
Records of the Nuremberg trials and historical medical reports
“Military History Monthly”, review of “Blitzed”
“Rolling Stone”, interview with Norman Ohler
Deutschlandmuseum Berlin, documentation concerning Pervitin and drug use in the Third Reich
