In 1939 the German Army launched Blitzkrieg attacks against France. The Germans decided to attack through the Ardennes forest, as it was a weak spot in the French defences Further the French Military did not expect the attack to take place there, as it was a difficult area for tanks to attack from. There are many reasons for France’s defeat. Many attributed that it was due to France's weakness in armed forces, however this is incorrect as France’s Military at the time was much larger and more advanced than Germany’s. Rather, the defeated of France was due to the unanticipated advance of the German army through the Ardennes Forest.
As mentioned the attack through the Ardennes Forest was nearly impossible but the use of the drug Pervitin
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Heinrich Boell a German soldier stationed in occupied Poland wrote to his family about the tough conditions he was in and he asked his family to send him some Pervitin as seen in source D. He wrote to his Family on 3 separate occasions asking for his family to send him some Pervitin and his family were not the only ones sending Pervitin to the soldiers.
Over 35 Million tablets of Pervitin were ordered and sent to the soldiers advancing on France in 1940 as stipulated in source A. In addition to Isophan which fueled the Germans Blitzkrieg through the Ardennes as stated in source H. This was due to the Stimulant Decree issued on 17 April 1940. The Stimulant Decree recommended that soldiers were to take “one tablet per day, two at night in short sequence, and another one or two tablets after two or three hours if necessary” this is stated in Source B.
In a medical report sent by the 8th Panzer Division, the armed division which fought in the invasion of France and took part in the destruction of the French first and seventh armies in May 1940, on the drug Pervitin, what was stated was “own experience very favourable...Effect on depressed mood excellent”, this is evident in source