War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding

right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its size,

and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding American history.

Welcome to Key Battles of American History,

a podcast in which we discuss American history

through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.

Here is your host, James Early.

Thank you. host, James Early. Hello and welcome back to the Great War, our 10,000-foot survey of the cataclysmic conflict

that changed the world forever.

I'm your host, James Early, as always.

And as always, I am joined by my co-host and my good buddy, Sean McIver.

That is the last time I'm going to be able to say that.

I guess I could say it in the future, but it's the last time I'm going to say it because

this is the last episode in the series.

This is our 24th and final episode.

In our last episode, Sean and I examined the far-reaching legacy of the First World War, from its devastating human cost and psychological

impact, to the profound economic, political, and geographic changes that it unleashed.

We explored how the war reshaped nations and empires, altered the role of government and ideology,

and set the conditions for continued violence, revolution, and instability across Europe and beyond.

And at the end of the episode, Sean and I grappled with the most difficult question of all,

whether the Great War was worth the staggering price it demanded,

and whether anything positive ultimately emerged from the conflict. In this episode, as I said, the very last of the series,

...