During the second World War, tobacco use skyrocketed for American soldiers and civilians alike. Cigarettes were even distributed along with food and water rations. The war defined what the tobacco industry is today. Click the image above to learn more!
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While many nations discovered the potential for narcotics to increase a soldier's performance, the Third Reich relied heavily on drugs. These substances helped the Germans fend off sleep and granted them a measure of chemical courage. The price, however, far outweighed the benefits. (Image by spiegel.de)
During times of war, soldiers are forced to confront the unthinkable. It almost seems logical when they turn to drugs and drinking to help them forget what they endure. Louie is no exception. His habit starts innocently enough when he has his first drink under the table at age eight. Slowly, one glass of wine evolves into the liquor he stashes in the trunk at the foot of his bed. By the time his wife finds him shaking their daughter in a drunken rage, his alcoholism has pushed him to the brink.
Louie fights two wars in Unbroken. The first is against the Axis; the second is against himself. Even after World War Two has ended, Louie struggles to break free from the grip of addiction. When he throws off the chains of his nightmarish past and substance abuse habits, he emerges a veteran of both conflicts as well as a free man.
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In addition to drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, soldiers had other unconventional pleasures. While fighting overseas, many spent their paycheck on prostitutes and call girls. Oftentimes, they would come back from a wild night only to find that they had contracted a venereal disease. In response, the United States began an ad campaign to warn of the dangers of having sexual relations with loose women. (Image by nydailynews.com)
Nate Aubin
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While everyone can agree that Adolph Hitler's behavior was equal parts violent and erratic, his personal substance abuse might have made matters even worse. According to one account, the Nazi leader was on as many as seventy-four different substances at once. Image by washingtonpost.com)