Lex Fridman Podcast
#481 – Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, Blitzkrieg, LSD, MKUltra & CIA
19 Sep 2025
Full Episode
The following is a conversation with Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed, Drugs in the Third Reich, a book that investigates what role psychoactive drugs, particularly stimulants such as methamphetamine, played in the military history of World War II. It is a book that two legendary historians, Ian Kershaw and Anthony Beaver, give very high praise to.
Ian Kershaw describes it as a very well-researched, serious piece of scholarship, and Anthony Beaver describes it as a remarkable work of research. And it is indeed a remarkable work of research. Norman went deep into the archives using primary sources to uncover a perspective on Hitler and the Third Reich that has before this been mostly ignored by historians.
He also wrote Tripped, Nazi Germany, the CIA, and The Dawn of the Psychedelic Age. And he's now working on a new book with the possible title of Stoned Sapiens. Great title. Looking at the history of human civilization through the lens of drugs. And now a quick few second mention of each sponsor. Check them out in the description or at lexfriedman.com for sponsors.
It is in fact the best way to support this podcast. We got Uplift Desk for beautiful standing desks. Finn for AI agents. Shopify for selling stuff online. Element for electrolytes. And Hampton for connecting with CEOs. Choose wisely, my friends. And now onto the full ad reads. I try to make them interesting, but if you skip, please still check out the sponsors. I enjoy their stuff.
Maybe you will too. To get in touch with me for whatever reason, go to lexfriedman.com contact. All right, let's go. This episode is brought to you by Uplift Desk, my go-to for all office and podcast studio furniture. This very podcast, ladies and gentlemen, had three desks, Uplift desks involved, and a fourth desk in the same room. So that desk you see sort of me place my hands on,
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