S3-E26 - Taiwan as part of the Philippines? Or a British or German colony? “What Ifs” of Formosan History -- With Michael Turton

Taiwanese history would have been very different except for a few
pivotal moments. “Sure,” you might be thinking, “that's true
everywhere.” However, the “what ifs” Michael Turton and Eryk
Michael Smith talk about today are especially fascinating because
of Taiwan’s strategic location. The Spanish and Dutch had
short-lived settlements here in the 17th century, but either
could easily have lasted for centuries. Later would-be colonizers
included the UK (they considered using the east coast as a penal
colony à la Australia), the US, and Germany. Turton
lays out an interesting list of “what ifs” to support his
argument that Taiwan being in the sphere of “Chinese” influence
is an anomaly of history -- and was never inevitable. 


Check out formosafiles.com for links to articles by Michael
Turton, pics, images, and more.