British soldiers in World War I were issued a daily ration of rum, and the military actually scientifically calculated that a lack of rum would decrease troop morale and combat effectiveness.

A closer look

British soldiers in World War I were issued a daily ration of rum, and the military actually scientifically calculated that a lack of rum would decrease troop morale and combat effectiveness. The high command realized that asking young men to charge into machine-gun fire and live in mud pits was a tough sell without a steady supply of government-mandated alcohol. This practically means the British Empire held the line against the Central Powers on a continuous, state-sponsored mild buzz. It is hilarious to think that modern offices won't even buy their employees decent coffee, while the early 20th-century British military recognized that functioning in a literal hellscape requires at least a baseline level of tactical intoxication!