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

Podcast: Empire: World History (LS 69 · TOP 0.05% what is this?)Episode: 358. Spice Wars: The Rise of the Dutch East India Company (Ep 1)Pub date: 2026-05-10Get Podcast Transcript →powered by Listen411 - fast audio-to-text and summarizationWhat’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? Get the entire Dutch Empire miniseries early and ad-free by joining the Empire Club at empirepoduk.com  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. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/EMPIRE. For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to ⁠www.goalhanger.com.⁠ Email: [email protected] Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Imogen Marriott Social Producer: Charlie Johnson Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesThe podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Goalhanger, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.