Dwight Eisenhower commanded the largest military operation in history on D-Day, then spent his presidency trying to restrain the very military establishment he had led. The general who won World War II in Europe governed as a cautious moderate, ended the Korean War, resisted military interventions his advisors pushed for, and used his farewell address to warn America about the “military-industrial complex” — a warning from a five-star general that remains the most prescient presidential speech of the twentieth century.

This episode traces Eisenhower from his Abilene childhood through West Point, D-Day, the Cold War presidency, and the farewell warning that looks more prophetic with every passing decade.

• Eisenhower’s Kansas childhood and the military career that led to Supreme Allied Commander
• D-Day — the decision, the weather gamble, and the note he wrote in case it failed
• The presidency — ending Korea, restraining hawks, and building the interstate highway system
• The military-industrial complex speech and why a general’s warning still resonates today