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The Korean War is over, and Mao turns again to the mission of invading Taiwan. To do that, his forces will need to first take some tiny islands just off the coast of China... which is easier said than done. Here's the story of the two "Cross-Strait Crises."
Cover image: A communist Chinese "Liberate Taiwan" poster (circa 1950)
Below: Another example of a 1950s propaganda poster. The Chinese reads (rough translation) "Solider Uncles! Quickly go save the poor children of Taiwan!"
Below: Images of shells fired from China at the islands of Kinmen (Via Wikimedia Commons)
Check our very first episode, the story of a very white man who showed up in London in 1703... and claimed to be from Formosa. Or try a foodie episode from Season 3. Or, for those who want some harder-core history, hear the tale of the Lockheed U-2 pilot Wang Hsi-chueh 王錫爵, who became was famous for defecting to the PRC by hijacking China Airlines Flight 334 on May 3, 1986.
