There are countless examples of this, but some of the most prominent include the drug-funded rise of major imperial powers in the 18th and 19th centuries. From a broader historical perspective one could argue that Britain was the first true narco-state and even a narco-empire when we consider the financial importance of not only the tea (caffeine) and opium trades but also reliance on alcohol and tobacco taxes. Meanwhile, vodka revenue was an essential ingredient in Imperial Russia’s ability to mobilize the largest standing army in Europe, though Russia probably had the most alcoholic army as well.

The Blitzkrieg was fueled by speed, with hopped-up, nearly sleepless German soldiers popping Pervitin (the trade name for a contemporaneous methamphetamine tablet) issued by commanders as they raced across Europe and bewildered foes with the rapidity of their advance. Tell us about other conventional forces and their reliance on amphetamines.

All of the major powers during World War II, with the notable exception of the Russians, disbursed amphetamines to their fighting forces. Although the Germans were the early adopters of pill-popping on the battlefield, the British and the Americans were not far behind. And for the Japanese, total mobilization for war included drugging not only Kamikaze pilots but also defense-industry workers, giving the country a methamphetamine habit that long outlasted the war itself.

Although the American military’s issue of amphetamines and other “go pills” to its forces has been covered episodically for years, the practice has not gained much traction in public discussions of Pentagon practices. Why do you think this is so?

It is interesting that even as the country became increasingly aware of the serious health consequences of amphetamines in the 1960s and lawmakers criminalized their nonmedical use, the U.S. military nevertheless continued to aggressively prescribe the drug during the Vietnam War, and the pills were now much more potent than during World War II. Far more public and media scrutiny was devoted to soldier heroin use — fear of heroin-addicted G.I.s coming home even helped Nixon justify declaring a war against drugs — yet amphetamines was arguably a more serious problem. The enduring appeal of amphetamine-type stimulants in the military is not hard to understand, especially for sleep-deprived pilots. And it’s not just the American military. Military strategists around the world continue to look for ways to give their forces a fighting edge, and this includes dreaming of chemically enhanced super-soldiers requiring less rest and sleep. Much of the interest in recent years has focused on Modafinil, a drug that is considered less addictive and has fewer negative side effects than amphetamines. It reminds me a bit of the initial excitement about the battlefield applications of amphetamines.

Interview has been condensed and edited.

Looking for another long read? A new special report by USA Today is worth your time, both on merit and in light of The Washington Post’s release of the Afghan Papers. The report — “Inside the U.S. military’s raid against its own security guards that left dozens of Afghan children dead” — revisits an ill-fated American raid in 2008 that left scores of Afghan civilians dead and that the American military whitewashed. It’s a case of journalism doing the hard work of truth-seeking that the government won’t, and a bracing reminder to be wary of official war reports.