The Liberian Civil War was fought by child soldiers who had witnessed trauma from an early age and adopted noms de guerre like General Butt Naked as adults. The fighting was likely stunting their development and memories from before the war were scarce.
The Three Percenters is a militia group made up of veterans who stand ready to defend free speech and the country's constitution. Despite receiving contempt from fascists, they face many problems, including infiltration by right-wing extremists.
This episode explores the childhood of Hindenburg, who began cadet training for the Prussian army at the age of 11, and how his upbringing contributed to his later role in World War I.
The rise of right-wing leagues in France in the mid-1920s was fueled by the veterans mystique, which was a near worship of the front generation. Despite most veterans not joining the leagues, the idea that their sacrifices were betrayed by leftist leaders became a popular right-wing rallying cry.
The mindset of a warfighter is driven by fear and destruction while a warrior is driven by love and harnesses both destructive and creative power, becoming infinitely more powerful. Ironically, societies that we model ourselves after inherently knew this to be true.
In the Roman political system, instead of political parties, wealthy individuals formed coalitions with their clients, providing them with basic necessities in exchange for their support. This system worked by building a network of clients over the course of a wealthy individual's life.