History of Taiwan (1945–present) facts for kids
The islands of Taiwan and Penghu became part of the Republic of China (ROC) on October 25, 1945. This happened after Japan surrendered at the end of World War II. The ROC government, led by the Kuomintang (KMT) party, took control.
In 1947, a sad event called the February 28 massacre occurred. This led to martial law being put in place in 1949. Later that year, the Chinese Civil War ended. The KMT government lost to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on mainland China. So, the KMT government moved to Taiwan and made Taipei its temporary capital. The CCP then started the People's Republic of China (PRC) on the mainland.
For many years, both the ROC and the PRC claimed to be the only real government of "China." But in 1971, the United Nations voted to remove the ROC and replace it with the PRC.
In 1987, martial law was lifted in Taiwan. This started Taiwan's journey to becoming a democracy. It led to the first direct election for president in 1996. By 2000, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) came to power. This party began to focus on a separate Taiwanese identity.
Taiwan's political situation is still a bit tricky. Because of this, the ROC often joins international groups under the name "Chinese Taipei." The PRC believes that the ROC no longer exists and that Taiwan is part of the PRC. The PRC has never controlled Taiwan. Also, the PRC refuses to have diplomatic ties with any country that recognizes the ROC. However, the ROC still governs Taiwan, Penghu, Quemoy, Lienchiang, and other smaller islands.
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Taiwan After World War II
Early Postwar Society
World War II ended on September 2, 1945. Japan was defeated. Taiwan, which Japan had controlled since 1895, was then placed under the control of the Kuomintang-led Republic of China (ROC). This happened through official orders and the signing of Japan's surrender.
He Yingqin, who represented the ROC at Japan's surrender, set up a special office for Taiwan. Chen Yi became the head of this office. He announced October 25 as Retrocession Day. However, Japan had not officially given up control of Taiwan yet. So, other countries that were Allies of World War II did not fully agree with the ROC taking over Taiwan by itself.
Chen Yi's government had many problems. There was a lot of corruption. The police and military were not well-controlled. This made people lose trust in the government. Taiwan's economy was also struggling, causing hardship for many. The government tried to remove all Japanese influences, which caused tension between people who had lived on the island before the war and new arrivals from mainland China.
These tensions exploded in 1947. Government agents arrested a cigarette seller, and a bystander died. This sparked clashes that spread across the island. It became a large rebellion against Chen Yi's rule, known as the February 28 incident. Weeks later, troops from mainland China arrived to stop the rebellion. Many important Taiwanese people and other residents were killed, jailed, or disappeared. This event was a start to the White Terror period in the 1950s. It also led to more tension between different groups of people and helped start the Taiwanese independence movement.
After the February 28 Incident, the KMT government changed how Taiwan was run. They created a new provincial government. Wey Daw-ming became the first Governor of Taiwan Province. He tried to reduce the government's control over businesses.
Chen Cheng took over as governor in 1949. He changed the money system, replacing the old, weak currency with the New Taiwan dollar. He also put in place a law to help farmers by reducing how much rent they had to pay for land.
The KMT leaders believed that Taiwanese people had been too influenced by Japan. They thought Taiwanese people were not fully Chinese and needed to be "re-educated." The KMT wanted to remove all Japanese traces and make people adopt a new Chinese identity.
After Japan surrendered, most of the 300,000 Japanese residents in Taiwan were sent away. The KMT also took properties from Japanese colonists. In modern Taiwan, some of these properties are seen as unfairly taken.
Authoritarian Rule and the Cold War
On May 19, 1949, Chen Cheng declared martial law in Taiwan. This meant the military had special powers. In December 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) forces lost the Chinese Civil War on the mainland. This forced the ROC government to move to Taiwan. The CCP then announced the creation of the People's Republic of China.
After moving to Taiwan, the KMT saw this as a temporary move. Chiang Kai-shek, the KMT leader, hoped to take back mainland China. Because of this, they focused on building up the military more than on growing the economy.
The Nationalist government also started a campaign against people who disagreed with them. This was part of the White Terror. They often jailed smart and important people in Taiwan. They feared these people might resist their rule or support communism.
Until 1958, there were small fights between ROC forces and the People's Liberation Army (PLA) across the Taiwan Strait. In October 1949, the PLA tried to take the island of Quemoy, which the ROC controlled. But they failed, stopping the PLA's advance toward Taiwan.
This period of tension lasted until the Second Taiwan Strait Crisis. During this crisis, the United States promised to protect Taiwan from mainland China. After that, both sides stopped major fighting.
Democratic Reforms
The Republic of China started developing a constitutional democracy in 1947. However, because of the Chinese Civil War, special rules were passed. These rules, called the "Temporary Provisions," put Taiwan under martial law. This limited people's freedoms and democracy. Taiwan was basically under military rule by the KMT.
But in the 1980s, the KMT's one-party rule began to change. People pushed for democracy. Martial law was finally lifted in 1987. Full constitutional democracy returned to the ROC after 1987.
When the ROC government moved to Taiwan in 1949, only a few political parties were allowed. Other groups that wanted change had to work outside the official system.
Until the early 1970s, most Western countries and the United Nations saw the ROC government in Taiwan as the only true government of China. They did not recognize the People's Republic of China (PRC). The KMT ruled Taiwan under martial law to prevent communist spies and prepare to retake mainland China. So, they did not allow people to speak out against the government.
The late 1970s and early 1980s were a time of big changes for Taiwanese people. Many who had faced unfair treatment and economic struggles became part of a new middle class. They gained more power to demand their basic human rights. The Kaohsiung Incident was a major event that pushed Taiwan toward democracy.
Taiwan also faced challenges on the world stage. In 1971, the ROC government left the United Nations. This happened just before the UN recognized the PRC government in Beijing as the official representative of China. The ROC was offered a chance to stay, but Chiang Kai-shek wanted to keep a powerful seat on the UN Security Council, which the PRC would not accept. In October 1971, the UN voted to remove the ROC and replace it with the PRC. In 1979, the United States also switched its recognition from Taipei to Beijing.
Chiang Kai-shek died in April 1975. His son, Chiang Ching-kuo, took over leadership of the KMT. Chiang Ching-kuo realized that Taiwan needed to become more democratic to gain support from other countries. His government slowly loosened political controls and moved toward democracy. He also gave more power to people born in Taiwan. Even though opposition parties were still illegal, when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was formed in 1986, President Chiang decided not to stop them. The next year, he ended martial law and allowed people to visit family in mainland China.
Chiang chose Lee Teng-hui, a Taiwanese-born expert, to be his vice president. This was a big step in giving more power to native-born citizens. It also helped calm anti-KMT feelings.
After Chiang Ching-kuo died in 1988, President Lee Teng-hui continued to make the government more democratic. Lee gave more power to Taiwanese-born citizens. He also promoted local culture and history over a "pan-China" view. For example, he changed who printed banknotes and largely reduced the power of the Taiwan Provincial Government. In 1991, old government bodies that were supposed to represent mainland China were forced to resign. Restrictions on using Taiwanese languages in media and schools were also lifted. Lee Teng-hui also focused on helping farmers and introduced health insurance for them.
Democratic Period
In 1996, Lee Teng-hui ran in Taiwan's first direct presidential election. The PRC tried to scare Taiwanese voters by launching missiles near the Taiwan Strait. They wanted people to vote for candidates who supported unification with China. But the U.S. sent warships to the area, and the missile tests ended early. This event is known as the 1996 Taiwan Straits Crisis.
One of Lee's last actions as president was to say that the ROC and PRC have a "special state-to-state relationship." This angered the PRC, which responded with military drills and a blackout in Taiwan.
The 2000 presidential election was a big change. The Kuomintang lost power for the first time. Chen Shui-bian of the DPP was elected president. He won with 39% of the vote. After this, James Soong, who had left the KMT, formed the People First Party (PFP).
In 2002, President Chen said that the relationship between Taiwan and mainland China was "One Country on Each Side." This caused arguments in Taiwan, mainland China, and the United States. In 2004, Chen and his vice president were supposedly shot the day before the election. They were re-elected, but the opposition questioned the results because the election was very close.
In the 2008 presidential election, Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT won. He promised better relations with mainland China and economic reforms. Ma was re-elected in 2012.
In the 2016 elections, the DPP won again. Tsai Ing-wen became Taiwan's first female president.
On May 24, 2017, Taiwan's highest court ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry. The government was given two years to change marriage laws. If they didn't, same-sex marriages would become legal automatically. In May 2019, Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage.
In January 2020, Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected president. Her DPP party also won a majority of seats in the parliament.
In 2022, Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan caused more tension between Taiwan and China. China responded with military exercises around Taiwan, including missile launches.
In January 2024, William Lai Ching-te of the DPP won the presidential election. However, no single party won a majority in the parliament for the first time since 2004.
Taiwan's Place in the World
Cross-Strait Relations and International Standing
At the end of 1943, the Cairo Declaration stated that all Chinese territories taken by Japan, including Taiwan, would be returned to the Republic of China. This was repeated in the Potsdam Declaration in 1945. When World War II ended, Japan surrendered. The Allied forces ordered Japanese troops in Taiwan to surrender to the ROC government. On October 25, 1945, Japan officially surrendered to the ROC in Taipei.
In 1951, Japan signed the Treaty of San Francisco. But because of the Chinese Civil War, this treaty did not clearly say who Taiwan belonged to. In 1952, Japan signed another treaty, the Treaty of Taipei, and again said it gave up all rights to Taiwan and other islands.
The People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) were technically still at war until 1979. In October 1949, the PRC tried to take the ROC-controlled island of Kinmen but failed. Other attempts by the PRC in 1950 were more successful, leading them to take Hainan Island and other smaller islands.
In June 1949, the ROC declared that all mainland China ports were "closed." Its navy tried to stop all foreign ships. This caused problems for trade and for mainland Chinese fishermen.
After losing mainland China, about 12,000 KMT soldiers went to Burma. They continued to launch attacks into southern China. The United States at first supported these soldiers. But after Burma complained to the United Nations, the U.S. pressured the ROC to bring its soldiers back.
During the Korean War, some Chinese Communist soldiers who were captured were sent to Taiwan instead of mainland China. The ROC government also launched air attacks on important coastal cities in mainland China, like Shanghai.
The ROC saw its remaining islands near mainland China as very important for any future plan to retake the mainland. On September 3, 1954, the First Taiwan Strait Crisis began when the PLA started shelling Quemoy. The crisis ended in March 1955.
The Second Taiwan Strait Crisis began on August 23, 1958, with air and sea battles. The PRC heavily shelled Quemoy. The U.S. quickly sent fighter jets and missiles to the ROC. The crisis ended in November of that year. Even though the fighting stopped, the two sides have never signed a peace agreement.
After the 1950s, the "war" became more symbolic. Live shells were replaced with propaganda leaflets. The shelling finally stopped in 1979 when the U.S. started diplomatic relations with the PRC.
During this time, almost no people or goods moved between PRC and ROC areas. There were a few people who secretly crossed over.
The U.S. initially thought the KMT government in Taiwan would fall to a PRC invasion. But things changed with the start of the Korean War in June 1950. President Harry S. Truman sent the United States Seventh Fleet into the Taiwan Strait. This was to stop the ROC and PRC from attacking each other.
In 1987, a sad event called the March 7 Incident happened on Lesser Kinmen. This had a big effect on relations. Four months later, martial law in Taiwan was lifted. Five months after that, the ROC government allowed people to visit mainland China. This was a huge relief for many, especially old KMT soldiers who had not seen their families in decades. This also helped improve relations between the two sides.
To handle talks with mainland China without giving up its claim, the ROC government created the "Straits Exchange Foundation" (SEF). The PRC set up its own group, the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Straits (ARATS). These groups allowed the two governments to talk in a semi-official way.
These talks led to the 1992 Consensus. Both sides agreed to be a bit unclear about who had sovereignty. This allowed them to discuss practical issues.
However, ROC President Lee Tung-hui started to lean more towards Taiwan independence. Before the 1990s, the ROC wanted to reunite with mainland China. But with democratic changes, public opinion in Taiwan began to shift. The ROC government moved away from the "One-China policy" and towards a separate identity for Taiwan. Jiang Zemin, the leader of the Chinese Communist Party, did not want to compromise. He tried to influence the 1996 ROC election by launching missiles, leading to the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis. By 1998, the talks had broken down.
Chen Shui-bian became President of the ROC in 2000. He supported Taiwan independence. Chen did not agree with the 1992 Consensus. The PRC insisted on a ""One China" principle" for talks to happen. This stopped relations from improving.
Until the 1970s, most countries saw the KMT in Taiwan as the legal government of China. But more and more countries started to recognize the People's Republic of China. In 1971, the United Nations recognized the PRC as the only legal representative of China. The KMT government then left the United Nations. After this, the ROC's international standing became much weaker. In 1979, when the United States broke ties, it was another big blow. In recent years, the ROC government has tried to rejoin international groups like the United Nations, but the PRC has strongly blocked them.
The question of Taiwan's political status is still not settled. The PRC says that Taiwan is an inseparable part of China. They say Taiwan's future is a Chinese internal matter. They also say they might use force if there is no hope for unification. People who support Taiwan independence believe that Taiwan's future should be decided by the people of Taiwan. They point out that the Treaty of San Francisco did not clearly decide Taiwan's sovereignty.
On March 14, 2005, the PRC passed the Anti-Secession Law. This law clearly stated the "One-China principle." Many people in Taiwan were unhappy about this. On March 26, hundreds of thousands of people protested in Taipei. Later in 2005, KMT leaders visited mainland China, which led to more talks. But relations between the two sides are still uncertain.
Mainland China and Taiwan started regular direct flights on weekends on July 4, 2008. This was the first time in sixty years and was seen as a "new start." Flights connected five mainland Chinese cities with eight Taiwan airports. This made travel much easier, as people no longer had to stop in Hong Kong.
On November 7, 2015, ROC president Ma Ying-jeou and CCP leader Xi Jinping held a meeting in Singapore.
Over the years, fewer and fewer countries have recognized the ROC. Today, only a few UN member states and the Holy See still have official ties with the ROC.
Economic Growth
After World War II, Taiwan faced shortages of goods, a weak economy, and high inflation. When the government moved to Taiwan, agriculture grew first. By 1953, Taiwan's economy was back to its pre-war level. After this, the government used a policy of "Nurture industry with agriculture." This meant using money from farming to help build up industries. With money, skilled workers, and aid from the United States, Taiwan's economy grew quickly.
In the 1950s, the government focused on "import substitution." They used money from farm exports to buy machines for factories. They also raised taxes on imported goods and limited imports to protect local businesses. By the 1960s, Taiwan's local market was full. At the same time, factories in other rich countries started moving to places with lower labor costs. So, Taiwan changed its economic policy to focus on exporting goods.
In 1960, the government passed laws to encourage foreign businesses to invest in Taiwan. In 1966, they opened the Kaohsiung Export Processing Zone, the first export processing zone in Asia. This helped increase manufacturing. Taiwan became an important link in the global manufacturing chain. By 1963, industry made up more of Taiwan's economy than agriculture. From 1968 until the 1973 oil crisis, Taiwan's economy grew by more than 10% each year. In 1971, Taiwan started exporting more than it imported and became a major producer of electronics.
After moving to Taiwan, Chiang Kai-shek learned from past mistakes. He believed they had failed to follow Sun Yat-sen's ideas for a better society. Chiang's land reform program greatly increased land ownership for Taiwanese farmers. It also removed the burden of rent. Former landowners used their government payments to become a new class of business owners. Chiang promoted a mixed economy with both state and private businesses. He also made nine years of schooling required and stressed the importance of science. These steps led to strong economic growth and stable prices.
Sports
Football was brought to Taiwan in 1916 by Edward Band. He was the principal of Tainan's Chang Jung High School. The Chang Jung High School team is seen as the first football team in Taiwan.
After the Chinese Civil War, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized both the PRC and ROC Olympic Committees in 1954. In 1958, the PRC left the IOC because it disagreed with the "two-Chinas" policy. After the PRC left, the IOC used different names for the ROC in the Olympics. "Formosa" was used in 1960, and "Taiwan" was used in 1964 and 1968. In 1975, the PRC asked to rejoin the IOC as the only sports group for all of China. At the 1976 Summer Olympics, the Canadian government would not let the Taiwanese team use the name "Republic of China" or "China." In 1979, the IOC recognized the PRC's Olympic Committee but also kept recognizing the Olympic Committee in Taipei. In 1981, the ROC government officially accepted the name "Chinese Taipei."
See also
In Spanish: Historia de la República de China en Taiwán para niños
- Han Taiwanese
- History of the People's Republic of China
