"A Profound, Abiding Hatred": An Analysis of Hermann Goering's Alleged Morphine Addiction

Hermann Goering, one of the most prominent members of the Nazi Party and for many years the presumed heir to Adolf Hitler, had a well-known history of morphine addiction. By the last days of the Second World War, he was widely considered by his contemporaries to have been completely incapacitated by...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Curēus (Palo Alto, CA) CA), 2023-03, Vol.15 (3), p.e36865-e36865
Main Author: Turner, Matthew D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictions
Authoritarianism
Goering, Hermann
Morphine
Nazi era
Other
Psychologists
Substance Use and Addiction
Substance use disorder
World War I
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Summary:Hermann Goering, one of the most prominent members of the Nazi Party and for many years the presumed heir to Adolf Hitler, had a well-known history of morphine addiction. By the last days of the Second World War, he was widely considered by his contemporaries to have been completely incapacitated by his addiction. In this article, we argue that Goering's addiction, while possibly present, was purposefully exaggerated by his rivals for political purposes. His habit of ingesting paracodeine pills may have been a crude form of opioid maintenance therapy, similar to that of methadone today. Ultimately, his history of substance abuse had no significant impact on his capacity, ruthlessness, and leading role in Nazi crimes.
ISSN:2168-8184
2168-8184
DOI:10.7759/cureus.36865