This episode examines the Gulf War (1990–1991), sparked by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The U.S. led a historic international coalition under the U.N., launching Operation Desert Storm, a high-tech campaign of airstrikes and a swift ground assault that liberated Kuwait in just over six weeks.

While hailed as a decisive victory, the war raised questions about civilian casualties, the decision to leave Saddam Hussein in power, and the long-term U.S. presence in the Middle East. The Gulf War marked the beginning of America’s high-tech, post–Cold War military dominance, but also planted seeds of future conflict.

This episode covers the final years of the Vietnam War, from Nixon’s Vietnamization strategy to the Paris Peace Accords and the complete U.S. withdrawal in 1973.

Without U.S. support, South Vietnam collapsed under a North Vietnamese offensive, culminating in the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. The war left profound consequences: millions dead in Vietnam, 58,000 Americans killed, a crisis of trust in U.S. government, and a deep reluctance to enter future wars without clear goals.

The episode reflects on the war’s enduring legacy as a cautionary tale about the limits of military power.

This episode explores the early years of the Vietnam War, from the roots of colonial conflict to America’s full-scale military involvement. After the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (1964), U.S. combat troops were deployed, fighting a guerrilla enemy in brutal conditions.

Despite overwhelming military power, the U.S. struggled to win both the battlefield and the support of the Vietnamese people. At home, televised images of destruction and death fueled a growing anti-war movement, especially after the Tet Offensive in 1968.

By the decade’s end, the war had deeply divided American society, shattered public trust, and become a symbol of disillusionment.

This episode explores the Korean War (1950–1953), where the U.S. led a United Nations force to defend South Korea from a North Korean invasion. After a dramatic turnaround with the Inchon Landing, the war escalated when China intervened, leading to a bloody stalemate near the 38th parallel.

Despite massive casualties and destruction, the war ended in armistice, not peace, and left the Korean Peninsula divided to this day. The war marked America’s first Cold War military intervention, setting the tone for future conflicts—and earning the painful nickname: “The Forgotten War.”

This episode explores the early Cold War, a global power struggle between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. Although they never fought directly, they engaged in proxy wars, nuclear arms races, cultural battles, and ideological campaigns across the world.

From the Truman Doctrine and McCarthyism, to Sputnik and CIA coups, the Cold War reshaped American policy and identity. It was a war fought with ideas, fear, and indirect violence—one that continues to influence geopolitics today.

This episode explores America’s role in World War II, from its entry after the attack on Pearl Harbor to its emergence as a world superpower. The U.S. mobilized its economy and people, fought brutal battles across Europe and the Pacific, and used the atomic bomb to end the conflict.

We examine the war’s impact on soldiers, civilians, minorities, and women, and the global legacy it left behind—from the United Nations to the Cold War, from Holocaust memory to nuclear power. World War II was both a victory and a transformation.

This episode explores how the U.S. was drawn into World War I after years of neutrality, motivated by German submarine attacks and the Zimmermann Telegram. President Wilson framed the war as a fight to "make the world safe for democracy."

American troops played a crucial role in the final year of the war, but the peace that followed—the Treaty of Versailles—sowed seeds for future conflict. The episode highlights America’s rise to global influence, the internal changes the war triggered, and the beginning of its complex role as a world power.

This episode explores the short but pivotal Spanish-American War of 1898, when the U.S. declared war on Spain—officially to free Cuba, but also to assert global power. The war resulted in U.S. control over Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines, marking America’s emergence as an imperial power.

Through expert commentary and personal accounts, the episode highlights the tension between America’s ideals and its actions, as well as the war’s lasting impact on U.S. foreign policy and identity.

This episode explores the causes, battles, and aftermath of the American Civil War (1861–1865)—the deadliest conflict in U.S. history. Sparked by the deep divide over slavery and states’ rights, the war erupted when Southern states seceded after Abraham Lincoln’s election. It became a brutal, four-year struggle between the Union and the Confederacy.

We examine major battles, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the role of Black soldiers in shaping the war’s moral direction. The episode also delves into Confederate ideology, the post-war Reconstruction era, and the war’s enduring legacy. Through expert insights and firsthand accounts, this chapter reveals how the Civil War reshaped the meaning of freedom, unity, and American identity.

This episode explores the causes, course, and consequences of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), one of the most controversial conflicts in U.S. history. Fueled by the belief in Manifest Destiny, the U.S. invaded Mexico after a border dispute, leading to fierce battles and the occupation of Mexico City.

While the U.S. emerged victorious and gained vast territories through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the war sparked internal division, intensified the slavery debate, and left a lasting scar on Mexico. Voices from both soldiers and civilians reveal a deeper moral complexity, raising questions about national ambition and the price of expansion.