Episodes

Today marks a new month, and you know what that means -- it's time for a new episode! This time we have an overview of what life was like for those in Southeast Asia, during the years when Japan ruled the region (hint: most of it is bad.) A Ten Peso bill, printed by the Japanese for use in the Philippines. Inflation soon made them nearly worthless, and because the Filipinos had been exposed to Hollywood movies, they scornfully called this "Mickey Mouse money." The Axis leaders in Asia only met o...

Today marks a new month, and you know what that means -- it's time for a new episode! This time we have an overview of what life was like for those in Southeast Asia, during the years when Japan ruled the region (hint: most of it is bad.) A Ten Peso bill, printed by the Japanese for use in the Philippines. Inflation soon made them nearly worthless, and because the Filipinos had been exposed to Hollywood movies, they scornfully called this "Mickey Mouse money." The Axis leaders in Asia only met o...

Today we have a diversion from the narrative the podcast has been following lately. When Japan conquered Southeast Asia in early 1942, it gained access to the Indian Ocean, and the Japanese ventured into that ocean afterwards. This episode will look at what followed: the invasion of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the bombing of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), and a battle between the British, French and Japanese for Madagascar. Although this area is not in Southeast Asia per se, I believe you will fi...

Today we have a diversion from the narrative the podcast has been following lately. When Japan conquered Southeast Asia in early 1942, it gained access to the Indian Ocean, and the Japanese ventured into that ocean afterwards. This episode will look at what followed: the invasion of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the bombing of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), and a battle between the British, French and Japanese for Madagascar. Although this area is not in Southeast Asia per se, I believe you will fi...

Today we have a diversion from the narrative the podcast has been following lately. When Japan conquered Southeast Asia in early 1942, it gained access to the Indian Ocean, and the Japanese ventured into that ocean afterwards. This episode will look at what followed: the invasion of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the bombing of Ceylon (modern Sri Lanka), and a battle between the British, French and Japanese for Madagascar. Although this area is not in Southeast Asia per se, I believe you will fi...

This year three holidays fall on April 1: April Fool's Day, Easter and Passover. Now you have another reason to celebrate; Episode 42 is now available! This episode begins coverage of the Burma campaign, a nasty jungle war that would go on between Japan and the Allies for the rest of World War II in the Pacific. Today we will see the Japanese conquest of Burma (modern Myanmar), from December 1941 to May 1942. The conquest did not take five months because of Allied resistance, as was the case in ...

This year three holidays fall on April 1: April Fool's Day, Easter and Passover. Now you have another reason to celebrate; Episode 42 is now available! This episode begins coverage of the Burma campaign, a nasty jungle war that would go on between Japan and the Allies for the rest of World War II in the Pacific. Today we will see the Japanese conquest of Burma (modern Myanmar), from December 1941 to May 1942. The conquest did not take five months because of Allied resistance, as was the case in ...

This year three holidays fall on April 1: April Fool's Day, Easter and Passover. Now you have another reason to celebrate; Episode 42 is now available! This episode begins coverage of the Burma campaign, a nasty jungle war that would go on between Japan and the Allies for the rest of World War II in the Pacific. Today we will see the Japanese conquest of Burma (modern Myanmar), from December 1941 to May 1942. The conquest did not take five months because of Allied resistance, as was the case in ...

Now it is time to finish what we started in Episode 38, and cover the conclusion of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Although the Japanese win again, it takes five months for them to conquer the islands, a longer time than any of their other campaigns so far, because both the Americans and Filipinos were united in resisting them. Both of the maps below are thumbnails. Click on either one to see the full-sized map in a separate tab or window. First, for your benefit, I have reposted the ...

Now it is time to finish what we started in Episode 38, and cover the conclusion of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Although the Japanese win again, it takes five months for them to conquer the islands, a longer time than any of their other campaigns so far, because both the Americans and Filipinos were united in resisting them. Both of the maps below are thumbnails. Click on either one to see the full-sized map in a separate tab or window. First, for your benefit, I have reposted the ...

Now it is time to finish what we started in Episode 38, and cover the conclusion of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Although the Japanese win again, it takes five months for them to conquer the islands, a longer time than any of their other campaigns so far, because both the Americans and Filipinos were united in resisting them. Both of the maps below are thumbnails. Click on either one to see the full-sized map in a separate tab or window. First, for your benefit, I have reposted the ...

This episode is a break from the narrative usually presented. Recently Charles Kimball was interviewed for another podcast, History Fangirl, to give the historical background behind Thailand and Bangkok. A copy of that interview has been reposted here. And below is a link to the podcast of Stephanie Craig, the History Fangirl; check it out to see what other places she has visited. Bangkok and the Kingdom of Siam Do you think you would like to become a podcaster on Blubrry? Click here for the det...

This episode is a break from the narrative usually presented. Recently Charles Kimball was interviewed for another podcast, History Fangirl, to give the historical background behind Thailand and Bangkok. A copy of that interview has been reposted here. And below is a link to the podcast of Stephanie Craig, the History Fangirl; check it out to see what other places she has visited. Bangkok and the Kingdom of Siam Do you think you would like to become a podcaster on Blubrry? Click here for the det...

This episode is a break from the narrative usually presented. Recently Charles Kimball was interviewed for another podcast, History Fangirl, to give the historical background behind Thailand and Bangkok. A copy of that interview has been reposted here. And below is a link to the podcast of Stephanie Craig, the History Fangirl; check it out to see what other places she has visited. Bangkok and the Kingdom of Siam Do you think you would like to become a podcaster on Blubrry? Click here for the det...

It only took three months for the Japanese to conquer most of Indonesia, an area the Dutch had dominated for more than three hundred years. This episode continues the World War II narrative of the previous three episodes, by covering the strategy and tactics Japan used in the world's largest archipelago. Here is the companion map, showing the paths taken by the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies. As you can see, they ignored no island large enough to matter. At the end of February 1942, they als...

It only took three months for the Japanese to conquer most of Indonesia, an area the Dutch had dominated for more than three hundred years. This episode continues the World War II narrative of the previous three episodes, by covering the strategy and tactics Japan used in the world's largest archipelago. Here is the companion map, showing the paths taken by the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies. As you can see, they ignored no island large enough to matter. At the end of February 1942, they als...

It only took three months for the Japanese to conquer most of Indonesia, an area the Dutch had dominated for more than three hundred years. This episode continues the World War II narrative of the previous three episodes, by covering the strategy and tactics Japan used in the world's largest archipelago. Here is the companion map, showing the paths taken by the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies. As you can see, they ignored no island large enough to matter. At the end of February 1942, they als...

Episode 38 continues on the topic the podcast has been covering since the year began -- World War II in Southeast Asia. This time we will see the Japanese invasion of the Philippines begin, but it won't finish in this episode; resistance to the Japanese is far tougher here than it was in Malaya and Singapore. And this episode will also give the biography of the American commander, Douglas MacArthur, up to 1941, because he will be a key figure in the war from this point on. Here is the first of t...

Episode 38 continues on the topic the podcast has been covering since the year began -- World War II in Southeast Asia. This time we will see the Japanese invasion of the Philippines begin, but it won't finish in this episode; resistance to the Japanese is far tougher here than it was in Malaya and Singapore. And this episode will also give the biography of the American commander, Douglas MacArthur, up to 1941, because he will be a key figure in the war from this point on. Here is the first of t...

Episode 38 continues on the topic the podcast has been covering since the year began -- World War II in Southeast Asia. This time we will see the Japanese invasion of the Philippines begin, but it won't finish in this episode; resistance to the Japanese is far tougher here than it was in Malaya and Singapore. And this episode will also give the biography of the American commander, Douglas MacArthur, up to 1941, because he will be a key figure in the war from this point on. Here is the first of t...

In the last episode you heard about Japan invading China, occupying French Indochina, and bombing Pearl Harbor. Now this episode covers the 1941 Japanese invasion of Thailand, Malaya, and Singapore. Are you ready? Here is the companion map, showing the campaign in Malaya, December 1941-January 1942. The red dates are the dates when the Japanese conquered specific locations, while the blue date indicates when the British formed a defensive line to protect Johore, the southernmost of Malaya's nine...

In the last episode you heard about Japan invading China, occupying French Indochina, and bombing Pearl Harbor. Now this episode covers the 1941 Japanese invasion of Thailand, Malaya, and Singapore. Are you ready? Here is the companion map, showing the campaign in Malaya, December 1941-January 1942. The red dates are the dates when the Japanese conquered specific locations, while the blue date indicates when the British formed a defensive line to protect Johore, the southernmost of Malaya's nine...

In the last episode you heard about Japan invading China, occupying French Indochina, and bombing Pearl Harbor. Now this episode covers the 1941 Japanese invasion of Thailand, Malaya, and Singapore. Are you ready? Here is the companion map, showing the campaign in Malaya, December 1941-January 1942. The red dates are the dates when the Japanese conquered specific locations, while the blue date indicates when the British formed a defensive line to protect Johore, the southernmost of Malaya's nine...

Happy New Year, and to begin 2018, the podcast will begin covering the course of World War II in Southeast Asia. We will start by looking at the events in the early twentieth century that motivated Japan to conquer most of East Asia and the western Pacific, and we will finish with the event that brought the United States into the war, the attack on Pearl Harbor. This map is a simple, graphic representation of Japan's strategy during World War II. Most of the area within the gold circle was under...