The Pete Quiñones Show Episode 1287: The War to Start All Wars w/ Darryl Cooper
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Nov 2, 2025 Darryl Cooper, host of the Martyrmade podcast and co-host of The Unraveling with Jocko Willink, dives deep into his new series about World War I. He discusses the psychological toll of trench warfare on soldiers and contrasts the motivations of volunteer troops versus conscripts. The conversation shifts to America's late entry into the war and the chaos returning soldiers faced post-conflict. Darryl also explores how war's aftermath influenced political radicalization, including the allure of Bolshevism for veterans seeking solutions.
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Fallujah Veteran Stories As Modern Parallels
- Marines from Fallujah described corpses rotting in basements and amputated limbs, illustrating modern combat horrors.
- Darryl Cooper used those veterans' stories to show how exposure normalizes extreme violence.
The Unrelenting Trauma Of Trench War
- World War I created continuous, 24/7 traumatic conditions that modern combat rarely matches.
- That nonstop trauma reshaped an entire generation's psychology and political outlooks.
WWI Veterans Shaped Interwar Politics
- Many World War II leaders were scarred veterans of World War I and carried those experiences forward.
- Understanding their trench-era trauma helps explain later interwar politics and radicalism.
