Modern college history tends to fade the influence of Christian missionaries in bringing the rest of the world up to modern standards.
Many large cultures did not have the written word before missionaries started translating the Bible into other languages, and found that they needed to create alphabets, dictionaries and schools to teach their flock how to read and write.
Happy New Month, if you are listening on the day this episode was uploaded! Here the podcast narrative will begin covering the Second Indochina War, or as Americans call it, the Vietnam War. This is the table-setting episode for the conflict, describing Vietnam in the mid-1950s, the events that caused the war to begin, and the motivations for the United States to get involved.
https://www.blubrry.com/hoseasia/47430865/episode-71-the-second-indochina-war-part-1/
All right, Episode 82 of the podcast is available a day ahead of schedule! Today we continue the ongoing narrative about the Second Indochina War in Vietnam, covering events for the rest of 1965, and culminating with the battle of Ia Drang.
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/54349568/episode-82-the-second-indochina-war-part-10/
If you can read this, it’s time to download/listen to another episode in the History of Southeast Asia Podcast! Last time, we came to the Tet Offensive, which many
consider the climax of the Second Indochina War. However, we still have a long way to go before the Vietnam story is finished. Today’s episode covers events in the rest of 1968, in Vietnam and the United States.
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/58899898/episode-88-the-second-indochina-war-part-15/
Episode 103 of the podcast is now available, just in time for Beethoven’s 250th birthday! Today we look at Indonesia during the 1970s, 80s and 90s. This was the time of Indonesia’s long-lasting second president, Suharto.
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/71628077/episode-103-indonesia-under-suharto/
Today’s episode covers Thailand, from 1976 to 2000. In the middle of the nineteenth century, modernization became the top priority of the Thai kingdom. While the Thais found it fairly easy to adopt new technology, they found it harder to switch from absolute monarchy to a more modern government, and they have been trying to do that since 1932. Listen in to find out if Thailand can get it right this time.
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/76224940/episode-109-thailand-the-game-of-political-musical-chairs/
One of my listeners requested I give equal time to eastern Indonesia, because in the past when I talked about this vast island nation, I concentrated on the big western islands: Java, Sumatra and Borneo. Well, it turns out I’m going to need more than one episode to fulfill that request, so here’s the first part in a mini-series on eastern Indonesia. Today we will look at the “Island of the Gods,” Bali.
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/91103881/episode-124-another-look-at-bali/
This episode is a Halloween special, a short sequel to one I recorded four years ago. Meet five more of the monsters that Southeast Asians believe in!
https://blubrry.com/hoseasia/122232967/episode-130-more-southeast-asian-monsters/