Episode 34 – The Fight for Formosa

The Dutch-built Fort Zeelandia and town.
Today it is known as Anping Fort and resides in the Anping District in Tainan, Taiwan.

Siege warfare, battle plans, corporate logic, the fate of the Maria and a letter with the power to change history – this episode brings the Dutch forces of Frederick Coyett and Ming imperialist forces of Koxinga to a head. The Dutch desperately try to hold on, despite the fumblings of Clenk and Caeuw.

An portrait of Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) circa. 1661
A map of Formosa (circa. 1665) oriented with East at the top. The Penghu Islands (labelled Pisca Dores) lie to the west of the island (on this map, below) and further west would be mainland China, then largely controlled by the Qing Dynasty.

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