Two physicians treating Hitler, doctors Morell and Schenk, claimed he had Parkinson’s Disease. In 1939, that was a death sentence within a few years. This could have motivated Hitler to start the war insanely early—while he was still alive and mentally alert—in September of that year.
In 1939, the German Army was totally not ready—their tanks were pitiful (essentially the MK I/II/III were armored cars), they had only a handful of U-boats operational, and no reserves of fuel, winter clothing, etc. As an example, Chief of U-boats Karl Doenitz estimated he needed at least 300 boats to effectively attack Atlantic convoys, of which a third would typically be in maintenance, a third in transit, and a third available to attack shipping. In September of 1939 he had only 26 boats total, of which about 8 (on a good day) would be available for oceanic operations, with the rest in “pipeline.” Similarly, the fuel stocks were so low that secret reports reported they were almost exhausted in 1942, leading to the risky Operation Edelweiss, a desperate turn of Army forces to the South, to try to seize Caucasus oil wells.
The German armed forces did not get their really good weapons (Me262 fighter, Panther tank, MG42, MP44 assault gun, Schnorchel Uboat, etc.) into production until very late in 1943, at which time the factories were slowed down by bombing. The only exceptional thing they had in 1940 was training and command and control—command cars with wireless sets coordinated forces even during rapid advances, something others could not do.
By the beginning of 1944, Hitler was on increasingly heavy medication, and he was shuffling and trembling, and knew the end was imminent. He stopped making public speeches, and was rarely seen in public.
His uncontrollably trembling left hand was already evident several years before. It is very evident on a youtube clip, at This Video Exposes Hitler's Secret Illness. The video and the attached photo shows him using his right hand, patting children’s cheeks, while his left is hidden behind his back. This may be why his left hand was often hooked into his belt while giving his copied-from-Rome salute, to stop it from trembling.
He apparently had advanced syphilis, as well. The symptoms are similar to Parkinson’s, and several physicians diagnosed him with this. Again, this was a sure time bomb for how long he could maintain command. He mentioned this disease many times in his writings, and seemed to be obsessed with it. The combined effect of the two incapacitating and fatal diseases may be why he stayed in the bunker and kept the war going until the end, keeping his physicians close to him—he knew he had no future in the outside world.
Hitler was an extensive opioid and meth abuser, and used cocaine to “clear his sinuses.” His extensive personal medical records, consisting of over 200 pages and compiled by his six (!) chief physicians, show he was using or abusing some 28 different drugs. His inner circle knew that although he was a vegetarian, he passed gas—he had uncontrollable flatulence problems. The abuse of opioids and coke of course leads to periods of extreme highs (and feelings of unrealistic, “bulletproof” power) followed by crashes, which his officers often witnessed
No comments:
Post a Comment