The China History Podcast

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Zhou Enlai (Part 5) Feb 04, 2016

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Welcome back to Part 5 of our Zhou Enlai series. Today, the focus is on the Korean War and the Geneva Conference. Zhou already enjoyed some degree of international respect from those he had come to know during his Shanghai and Chongqing years. By 1954 he had established himself as a respected tour de force on the world stage and earned begrudging admiration from those who refused to recognize the country for which he was head of state.

Zhou Enlai (Part 4) Dec 19, 2015

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In this Part 4 episode of the CHP Zhou Enlai series Laszlo re-tells the always amusing story of when the Americans came around Yan'an to kick the tires of the CCP and see what they were all about. This time Zhou again proves his loyalty and devotion to Mao and as always to China. He gets a real workout as far as developing his role as the Communists (and later China's) chief diplomat.

Zhou Enlai (Part 3) Nov 30, 2015

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In this Part 3 episode, the story of Zhou Enlai is taken all the way up to the 1943 Yan'an Rectification Campaign. We'll look at the Zunyi Conference, the Long March, the Xian Incident, and finally the ill-fated Second United Front. At every historic moment, Zhou Enlai was there, playing a lead role.

Zhou Enlai (Part 2) Nov 12, 2015

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In this second part of what's shaping up to be a long series, Laszlo picks up at the Zhongshan Gunboat Incident and follows the life of Zhou Enlai through the challenging years of 1926-1934.

Zhou Enlai (Part 1) Nov 05, 2015

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In today's Part 1 episode Laszlo explores the early life of Zhou Enlai, growing up in a traditional scholar-officials family that had seen better days. Zhou gets passed from relative to relative. But each step of the way there were mentors and breaks that he was able to make the most of. We can see through his early years and into his teens how Zhou was perfectly trained and tested for the larger job that lay ahead.

Jack Jones and the FAU China Convoy 1945-1951 Oct 04, 2015

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Jack Jones' story is told today in this little snapshot of a little-known organization that operated in 1940's China known as The Friends Ambulance Unit later renamed the Friends Service Unit. It was a Quaker funded charity that operated ambulances, providing urgent medical care and other charitable services during wartime.

Chinese American Stars and Entertainers of Old Hollywood Aug 31, 2015

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In this episode, Laszlo focuses on the history of Chinese Americans in the early years of Hollywood. The period will focus on the 1920s to the 1950s. During those years Asian Americans had a rough time in Hollywood trying to break away from stereotypical roles. This episode takes a closer look at the lives of Anna May Wong and Jadin Wong as a window into these times.

Ep. 158 | The Rise and Fall of the Qin (Part 2) Aug 15, 2015

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In this Part 2 of a 3 part series, we'll look at Duke Xiao's secret weapon: Shang Yang. Shang Yang introduced Legalism to the Qin ruler and all kinds of reforms that took the Qin to the next level. We'll also explore the rulers who all benefited from Shang Yang's political reforms. We'll also look at King Zhaoxiang and his great military advisor Fan Ju. Nobody was laughing at the Qin anymore. By the 3rd century BC, they were becoming the most powerful state in Eastern Zhou China.

The Four Great Inventions Jul 08, 2015

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This was one of the first episodes ever presented back in 2010. And it has stood the test of time, still as popular as ever. I hope you'll enjoy this romp through Chinese history through the lens of some of the great inventions and innovations. Besides the Four Great Inventions 四大发明 of the compass, paper, printing, and gunpowder, we'll look at many other great discoveries. Lord Francis Bacon hailed these Four Great Inventions as "having done more than anything else to transform the modern world completely and mark it off from antiquity and the Middle Ages. Thank you for listening.

Dr. Joseph Needham Jun 22, 2015

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In this long-awaited topic, Laszlo introduces "The Man Who Loved China", Dr. Joseph Needham. A true friend of China for most of his adult life, Needham's contribution was the epic work "Science and Civilization in China". Today, this massive undertaking is spread out over 24 volumes, 17 of which were written in Needham's own lifetime.

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