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Home > Empire > 358. Spice Wars: The Rise of the Dutch East India Company (Ep 1)
Podcast: Empire
Episode:

358. Spice Wars: The Rise of the Dutch East India Company (Ep 1)

Category: History
Duration: 00:51:03
Publish Date: 2026-05-10 23:00:00
Description:

What’s the real story behind the creation of the Dutch East India Company, and how was espionage involved? What made the VOC the first ‘mega-corporation’ in history? And what was the horrific human cost of establishing a colonial stronghold in the East Indies?


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William is joined by Dutch historian Herald van der Linde to explore the staggering rise of the Dutch East India Company - a company so rich it eclipsed the modern valuations of Apple and NVIDIA combined. They discuss how high-stakes espionage, revolutionary cargo ships, and military ruthlessness allowed the Dutch to dominate the 17th-century global economy.


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Email: empire@goalhanger.com

Instagram: @empirepoduk

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Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott

Social Producer: Charlie Johnson

Producer: Anouska Lewis

Executive Producer: Dom Johnson

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