What did soldiers drink during World War 2?

During the time of the Second World War, alcohol was nothing short of a strategic commodity. Wherever there were armies, a deluge of alcohol followed. The deadliest conflict in history needed as much, if not more, of the precious liquid supply that was once called the gift of the gods. In the darkness of bunkers and the nightmare of trenches, a ration of rum or vodka illuminated the front with a fleeting buzz. What did soldiers actually drank during World War 2?

The English had their rum ration on land and at sea. The American marines had their 3.2% beer manufactured by the big German breweries, even as they fought Nazi Germany. Hitler criminalized alcoholism and ordered the sterilization of drunkards. On the other side of the Channel, Churchill staunchly defended the right of the enlisted to drink. Some whispers suggested that alcohol had done far more damage to England than to Germany.

Further east, vodka provided some liquid courage to the Red Army battered by the powerful German war machine. In the comfort of his dacha, Stalin excessively made his close collaborators drink – another way to keep an eye on potential adversaries. In the United States, the Second World War closely followed the end of Prohibition, so all small victories were celebrated with a great flood of alcohol. President Roosevelt, on the other hand, was fond of martinis, a drink he religiously prepared according to an almost surgical ritual.

Drinking a Beer Between the Two Wars

The First World War created many hangovers, and beer is far from being the culprit. An unprecedented international conflict, the Great War produced a generation of cripples, disillusioned, and cynical individuals. Four empires collapsed following the armistice: the vast Russian Empire, the tottering Ottoman Empire, the complex Austro-Hungarian Empire, and finally, the brief German Empire. All of Europe needed rebuilding. Germany was the villain, and the imposed penalties aimed to leave it completely flattened.

At the same time, a quasi-return to normalcy with the end of the war also meant celebration, hope for a better world, and the search for salvation in other ways. While in Europe, especially in France, the roaring twenties brought cabarets and grand parties, America was busy addressing different wounds. An unprecedented social movement rose, as improbable as it was powerful.

It was the temperance movement, a powerful network dedicated to the abolition of taverns. Soon, the movement consolidated around the anti-saloon lobby, led by the tireless Wayne Wheeler. The United States had been drowning in whiskey and rum for too long. Everywhere, alcohol abuse accompanied working-class life. Thousands of women were beaten. The cliché of young men in their twenties squandering their monthly wages in a single drinking spree was prevalent. Some laws limited alcohol sales, but they were not enforced.

Industrial breweries had their hands in politics. As an industry tycoon would say: make sure to give beer to children for free. Those few dollars would be worth hundreds. Everything was done to intoxicate America. After years of struggle, the United States voted for prohibition on almost all alcohols except homemade ciders and sacramental wine.

But the experiment was a failure. Prohibition lacked the means to implement this gigantic surveillance project. Worse, an underground smuggling regime developed. Criminal gangs became true international networks. Wood alcohol caused poisonings across the country. Over 60% of the Chicago police were bribed by the mafia. It was a resounding failure.

After 13 years, prohibition was abolished. Beer production was allowed with a maximum of 3.2% alcohol. U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt made a deal with the breweries: 15% of the inventories of American breweries must go to the American Army. Thus, when the United States entered the war, the troops were supplied with a drinkable and reliable American lager. Ironically, the major American breweries were Pabst, Anheuser Busch, and Miller – all of German origin. Just yesterday, these names were taboo. Yet, in the fight against Hitler, Bavarian Lager became a patriotic weapon because it supported the troops.

A Germany in Hangover

Germany is a drinking nation. Hitler’s first failed coup d’état took place in no other place than a Bavarian brewery. However, Hitler did not look fondly at the age-old drink, or at any drink for that matter. The Führer disliked both drink and cigarettes, having been addicted to them in his youth. Obsessed with order, he viewed drunkards as a social plague unjustly curtailing the so-called Aryan race.

It is no surprise, then, that alcohol was virtually absent from soldiers’ rations. Every soldier bore a daily provision known as Halbieserne or « Iron Ration, » which included a 300-gram tin of meat and one 125- or 150-gram portion of hard bread. Even the dreaded SS elite troops didn’t receive any alcohol, although they did typically receive about six cigarettes every four days.

After the capitulation of France, Hitler, the undisputed leader of Nazi Germany, took an especially hard stance on public drunkenness. By decree, drunkenness became a crime. Alcoholism became a state offense, leading to the mass sterilization of thousands of people. One could find himself working to his death in a concentration camp just for his love of the bottle.

The biggest irony here is that despite the Third’s Reich rigid anti-tobacco and anti-alcohol policies, scientists were given green light to conduct the craziest experiments on performance-enhancing drugs. Throughout the war, thousands of soliders were shot with daily doses of methamphetamine.

According to records from the British War Office, approximately 35 million Pervitin tablets were dispatched to 3 million German soldiers, seamen, and pilots during the three months of the Blitz (April to June 1940). Nicolas Rasmussen, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, detailed this information in a 2011 report published in The Journal of Interdisciplinary History.

France: Wine for the Front!

At the turn of the century, France drank on average between 100 and 150 liters of alcohol, making French some of the greatest drinkers of Europe at the time. During the early stages of the war, over 3,500 trucks are mobilized for the daily delivery of more than 900,000 bottles of wine to the soldiers at the front. Early on, soldiers rations included 250 milliliters of wine per day, which was doubled within six months.

However, there was plenty more opportunities to get wine. According by a thorough review of army inventories, Stéphane Le Bras estimated that French soliders drank on average between 1 and 2 liters of wine per day. Over 40% of French soliders drank more than 2 liters a day, and a staggering 13% drank more than 3 liters a day.

Alcohol consumption at the front will be significant, sometimes up to 3-4 liters per day, but « erratic. » People consume a lot of alcohol in the quarters, and they « manage » their rations in the trenches, according to Mr. Ridel. « But we also have to drink wine there because contaminated water is a risky option. »
Charles Ridel, historian of the first world war and author of « L’ivresse du soldat »

What did French soldiers drink during World War 2? — Wine was the indispensable companion of the « Poilu, » for a multitude of reasons. « To fight against homesickness, boredom, the loss of a comrade, distance… » listed historian Stéphane Le Bras, associate professor in contemporary history at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, and a specialist in the history of viticulture.

None of that was good news Marshal Pétain, leader of the Régime de Vichy, the portion of France that was allowed self-administration after the fall of France. The one who signed the capitulation of France is a veteran of the First World War. Faced with the German blitzkrieg, Pétain sees no way out despite the power of the French tanks (never mobilized). After the defeat, he blames wine. Yes, wine that softens the body and mind.

It is because of wine that France lost, he implies. Leading the collaborating Vichy regime, Pétain unsuccessfully tries to limit wine consumption by law. He prohibits the sale of wine to those under 14. What does it change during the war? Absolutely nothing. Pétain, a hero of the past, is universally reviled. In addition to collaborating, he would have been guilty of surrendering too early, without understanding France’s hidden power, despite being remarkably equipped against Germany.

Russia and the necessity of vodka

Vodka has long been the ally of the soldier in Imperial Russia, until the Tsar Nicholas 1 outright banned the liquor. Upon taking power, the communist faction led by Lenin initially kept the ban, but ultimately reversed the decision for need of cash reserves. When Hitler invaded the morteland, Stalin ordered vodka rations to be reinstated. Over a billion liters of vodka were produced annually during war.

This was certainly not out of generosity. The Russian Red Army was notoriously low on supplies. Even ammunition was scarce, weapons were few. This made Russian soldiers little more than cannon fodder. From this perspective, it’s easy to understand why Soviet authorities, at the height of the Second World War, rationed vodka to 100 grams per day.

On August 22, 1941, Decree No. 562 of the State Defense Committee provided for the daily distribution of 40 percent alcohol vodka among frontline soldiers (those in direct contact with the enemy) at a rate of 100 grams (milliliters) per person.

Inebriation on the front quickly became a problem: Russian soldiers covered incredible distances with minimal equipment and faced intense stress, not to mention the atrocities they committed on a daily basis. Faced with the ruthless Red Army, the Germans reportedly deliberately left their alcohol supplies behind, thinking that a drunken Russian soldier would be less dangerous in combat.

As the war progressed, the impact of alcohol on the Eastern Front became increasingly evident. By 1943, the Soviet Union was consuming a staggering amount of vodka annually. Reports indicate that the per capita alcohol consumption in the USSR reached a peak of approximately 7.5 liters of pure alcohol, a testament to the widespread availability and consumption of this potent spirit.

The consequences were palpable on the battlefield, with instances of alcohol-related disciplinary issues rising significantly. Despite efforts to regulate and ration, the allure of vodka persisted, becoming deeply ingrained in the fabric of the soldiers’ daily lives, both as a coping mechanism and a form of camaraderie amidst the harsh realities of war.

Sources

Richard Davenport-Hines: Author of « The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics. »
Norman Ohler: Author of « Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich. »
Richard Overy: The coverage of the entire WW2 conflict
Jake Hall, A farewell to sobriety, part two: Drinking during World War II.
Boozing on the Battlefield – Thinking Drinkers
Serhii Pyvovarov, Maria Zhartovska & Yevhen Spirin : Alcohol helped in the war if it was consumed in moderation. This relates to beer, wine, rum, vodka, and, of course, cocktails on the frontlines and in the rear of the Second World War
« Nazis Hit Alcohol, Tobacco », Experiencing History
Mindy Weisberger, Nazis Dosed Soldiers with Performance-Boosting ‘Superdrug’
Stéphane Le Bras, L’ivresse dans l’armée française pendant la Grande Guerre. Un mal pour un bien ?
AFP, Le vin en 14-18, indispensable compagnon du Poilu

Pierre-Olivier Bussières is the Editor-in-Chief of Hoppy History and Uber Optimized. He is the Sales and Marketing Director at Uberflix Studio. He also writes about travel, geopolitics, and alcohol markets, and has published articles in The Diplomat, Reflets, The Main, Go Nomad, Global Risk Insights, and Diplomatie.

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