Empire on the Rise: Japanese Annexation of Taiwan
133Howdy folks. I do hope that y'all enjoy this slight change in style and of course the topic. The 1895 invasion/annexation of Taiwan is an extremely under discussed topic, yet was a vital part of not only Taiwanese, but world history as well. It brought about the Republic of Formosa, one of the earliest republics in the region. Please enjoy as we delve into the topic about the Japanese Annexation of Taiwan.
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Taiwan came under Qing control back in 1683, after a brutal campaign by Qing officials, beat back the multitude of indigenous tribes, tribal kingdoms, and European colonies that existed on the island. During the two hundred year reign, constant rebellions by the native peoples plagued the island The frequency of rebellions, riots, and civil strife in Taiwan was noted by a Chinese official as "every three years an uprising; every five years a rebellion".
Northern Taiwan and the Penghu Islands saw occupation during the European wars waged against the Qing Empire. During the 1884 Sino-French war, The French had occupied northern Taiwan, largely based out of the city of Keelug, and occupied the Pescadores island chain, which was originally intended to be used as a stepping stone for an invasion of Southern China. And one more nation would later use the same rational, for their attempted annexation.
By the 1890's. Japan has gone from a largely isolated nation for centuries, to a major modernized powerhouse, and set their sites on the Asian mainland. Korea being their first target. The Japanese would go to war in 1894, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the weakening Chinese empire. The Japanese took steps to ensure that Taiwan would be ceded to Japan under the eventual peace treaty, occupying the Pescadores islands with little resistance, enforcing their claim to both them and Taiwan in the ensuing peace. The Treaty of Shimonoseki which ended the first Sino-Japanese war, had a clause that gave these lands to the Japanese, even if the latter wasn't under occupation. This was accepted by the Qing government, Yet, a number of nobles on the island, headed by Qiu Fengjia, decided to resist this attempted annexation by declaring their own independence. The Republic of Formosa would be proclaimed on May the 23rd of 1895, with the former governor general Tang Jingsong acting as president. They attempted to court international support, and while the Republic had some support from aspects of the French government, it ultimately led to nothing, nor did the Chinese Authorities in Peking, seek to engage in the Republic, even if a handful of local warlords did what they could in supporting them. The new nation, with some support from Chinese warlords, worked fast to build up its military forces, for the eventual Japanese invasion that they knew would come.
On the 29th of May, 7,000 Japanese imperial guard troops, under the command of Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa, made a landing at the small village of audi, several miles to the east of Keelung, and marched overland in an attempt to capture the city. The first major action would take place five days later at Sui-hong, routing the Chinese forces that were guarding the countryside. Keelung, the city that held out against the French for months, fell the next day with minimal Japanese losses. The moral of these Chinese troops utterly gone, and them merely wanting to return home.