On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong announced to the world from the tower of Tiananmen Square: The Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China was established, and the People's Republic of China was officially established.
Two months later, at 2 p.m. on December 10, 1949, Chiang Kai-shek and his son Chiang Ching-kuo took off from Chengdu Phoenix Mountain Airport and fled to Taiwan. At that time, the artillery of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was attacking the city, and Chiang Kai-shek took one last look at the rivers and mountains of the mainland with extremely mixed feelings when he fled. After that, he never returned to the mainland.
In less than a month, the time entered the 1950s
Into the 1950s
The 1950s in Taiwan began with the founding of the People's Republic of China, the relocation of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan, and the shortly after the end of Japanese colonial rule.
After the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, Taiwanese society faced many challenges and many problems:
1. Economic predicament: At that time, Taiwan's economy was almost stagnant, the output value of industry and agriculture was declining, prices were soaring, materials were in short supply, people's lives were difficult, and the economy was on the verge of collapse;
2. Population pressure: A large number of people who retreated with the Kuomintang poured into Taiwan, resulting in a sharp increase in population, which caused great pressure on social resources and the job market;
3. Inflation: Inflation is serious, affecting economic stability and people's lives;
4. Agricultural production problems: agricultural production efficiency is low, and agricultural productivity needs to be improved through reform to meet the needs of the growing population;
5. Ideological challenges: The KMT needs to win the hearts and minds of the people that have lost and gain international support;
In addition, there are a series of issues, such as the need for political reform, the need for adjustment of the social structure, and changes in the international situation
The cause of the liberation of the mainland continues
In the 1950s, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) successively liberated some of the islands held by the Kuomintang on the mainland:
● Hainan Island Campaign: The Hainan Island Campaign lasted 56 days from March 5 to May 1, 1950. This battle created a combat example of a large-scale sea-crossing and landing operation with wooden sailing ships and some sailing ships to destroy the enemy's "three-dimensional defense" of land, sea and air, and was also a successful example of the People's Liberation Army's large-scale landing on the island.
●Battle of Zhoushan Islands: After the liberation of Zhejiang Province, about 60,000 Kuomintang troops retreated to Zhoushan Islands, at 18:30 on August 18, 1949, the first battle to liberate Zhoushan Islands began, and on May 19, 1950, all Zhoushan Islands were liberated, during which the Kuomintang continued to reinforce Zhoushan Islands from Kinmen and Taiwan.
● Liberation of Yijiangshan Island: In January 1955, the People's Liberation Army liberated Yijiangshan Island, located on the coast of Zhejiang Province.
● Liberation of Dachen Island and surrounding archipelago: In February 1955, the People's Liberation Army liberated Dachen Island and its surrounding archipelago.
●Dongji Islands: On May 15, 1955, the attack on the Dongji Islands officially began, and the fighting ended in 10 days.
●Shelling of Kinmen: At 5:30 p.m. on August 23, 1958, the shelling of Kinmen officially began. The fierce artillery fire shocked the world and forcefully demonstrated the firm stand and determination of the Chinese people to oppose US interference in China's internal affairs and safeguard national unity.
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Against such a complex background, in order to stabilize the regime in Taiwan, promote development, ensure people's livelihood, and establish a new image in the international community, the KMT urgently needs to carry out a series of profound reforms in Taiwan.
1. Land reform
Agrarian reform: Taiwan has implemented land reform characterized by three major characteristics: "375 rent reduction", "public land release", and "land ownership for the cultivators". These measures reduced the landlords' rent income and increased the number of yeoman farmers, thereby liberating the rural productive forces and promoting agricultural development.
Taiwan's land reform was an important set of measures that began in the early 1950s to address unequal land distribution, increase agricultural productivity, and increase farmers' support for the government. This reform is divided into three main phases:
"375 Rent Reduction":
This policy began in 1949 with the aim of reducing the burden of rent on the peasants. Specifically, the "375 Rent Reduction" limits land rent to 37.5% of the total annual harvest of crops, thereby reducing the rental income of landlords. This measure helped to alleviate the economic pressure on farmers and increase their enthusiasm for production, and also laid the foundation for subsequent land reform.
"Commons Release":
The "commons" was introduced in 1951 and involved the sale of government-owned farmland to farmers in installments. Farmers can buy land by paying a price based on a certain multiple of the crop yield and repay it in instalments over ten years without paying interest. This measure helped to increase the number of yeoman farmers, further reduced dependence on landlords, and strengthened farmers' loyalty to the government.
"The tiller has his field":
This policy was introduced in 1953 with the aim of distributing the landlords' land to the landless peasants. Under this policy, landlords were allowed to keep a certain amount of land, and the excess had to be requisitioned by the government and then resold to landless or landless peasants at a reasonable price.
Compensation paid by the government to landlords included land bonds in kind and shares in public enterprises as a way to reduce the impact of the reforms on the landlord economy.
This land reform had a profound impact on Taiwan, not only changing the distribution of land ownership, but also promoting agricultural productivity, enhancing the living standards of farmers, and helping to stabilize Kuomintang rule in Taiwan. At the same time, the land reform also prompted some landlords to turn their capital to industry and commerce, which promoted the diversified development of Taiwan's economy.
2. Reform of the Banner System
Taiwan's currency reform in the 1950s was based on a series of serious problems and challenges facing Taiwan's economy at the time. Specifically, the economic background and reform measures at that time were as follows:
Hyperinflation: Between 1946 and 1950, Taiwan experienced hyperinflation, with soaring prices and a severe depreciation of the old Taiwan dollar. On the supply side, after World War II, the U.S. military cut off Japan's sea transportation routes, resulting in a sharp drop in Taiwan's imports, while the infrastructure was severely damaged by the war and production was almost paralyzed; on the demand side, a large number of people from the mainland poured into Taiwan, and demand suddenly increased; on the monetary side, the government relied on printing money to make up for its fiscal expenditure.
Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Needs: After the Kuomintang retreated to Taiwan, Taiwan's population increased dramatically, the economy was on the verge of collapse, industrial and agricultural production almost came to a standstill, military expenditures accounted for the majority of fiscal expenditures, and the people's lives were difficult.
Currency Reform Measures:
Issuance of the new Taiwan dollar: On June 15, 1949, Taiwan implemented a currency reform and issued the new Taiwan dollar, which was exchanged at a ratio of 40,000 yuan of old Taiwan dollars to 1 new Taiwan dollar, and the maximum issuance amount of new Taiwan dollars was limited to 200 million yuan.
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Currency issuance fund: The total amount of issuance shall not exceed 200 million yuan, and 800,000 taels of gold will be allocated as a currency reform fund to stabilize prices internally.
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Foreign exchange rate pegged: The exchange rate pegged to the U.S. dollar is clarified to ensure the stability of the new Taiwan dollar's foreign transactions, and 10 million U.S. dollars are allocated as import and export reserves.
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Boost public confidence: Introduce supporting measures, such as allowing people to exchange NT$ for gold, and significantly increase the monthly interest rate of NT$ deposits to 7%, so as to attract savings, accelerate currency withdrawal, and alleviate inflationary pressures.
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U.S. Aid: Beginning in the second half of 1950, the U.S. began economic aid to Taiwan, injecting large sums of money into it to help Taiwan recover its economy.
3. Economic reforms
Economic Recovery Policy: During the economic recovery period (1949-1952), Taiwan faced problems such as rapid population growth and soaring prices, and the authorities adopted a series of policies and measures, such as foreign exchange trade control, and priority development of electricity, fertilizer and textile industries, in order to stabilize the society and restore the economy.
Coordinated development of agriculture and industry: the principle of cultivating industry with agriculture and developing agriculture with industry, promoting the improvement of agricultural labor productivity through land reform, and at the same time transferring the profits of agriculture to the industrial sector, forming an agricultural and sideline products processing industry and a series of import substitution industries.
Mr. Wang Yongqing, founder of Formosa Plastics Group
Support for private enterprises: Through effective industrial policies, we will support the development of private enterprises with strong competitiveness in the plastic raw materials, glass, textile, cement and other industries, such as Formosa Plastics.
Import Substitution Strategy: Taiwan has adopted a strategy of import substitution, giving priority to the development of industries that can increase exports, reduce imports, and contribute to improving the balance of payments, such as textiles, food, cement, plastics and other livelihood industries.
These reform measures have coordinated with each other to jointly promote Taiwan's rapid social and economic development and laid a solid foundation for the "Taiwan economic miracle" after the 60s.
white terror
Taiwan's "White Terror" in the 1950s referred to a series of harsh repressive measures taken by the Kuomintang government to suppress opposition voices and pro-democracy movements. These measures include arrests, imprisonments, and even assassinations of people deemed "dissidents." During this period, many Taiwanese who pursued national reunification and social progress were persecuted and suffered to varying degrees.
In the 1950s, under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek, the Taiwan Provincial Garrison General Headquarters used martial law as a pretext and with the help of laws such as the Regulations on the Punishment of Rebellion and the Regulations on the Suppression of Bandits and Spies during the Period of Mobilization to Suppress Rebellion, to expand the interpretation of the elements of the crime and allow intelligence units and institutions to extensively monitor and restrict the political activities of the people. In such a situation of long-term abuse of state power, the people's basic right to speech and privacy is no longer guaranteed.
During this time, the government cracked down on dissidents, political activists, intellectuals, and anyone deemed unfavorable to the regime through secret police, military tribunals, and special laws. This repression has led to numerous arrests, interrogations, imprisonments, tortures and even executions, and people live in constant fear.
In the shadow of the White Terror, freedom of speech was severely restricted, and the population lived in extreme fear and repression, afraid to voice dissent or engage in any political activity to avoid persecution by the government. Therefore, the horror of the White Terror can be said to be quite serious and widespread, bringing a long-term psychological shadow and political turmoil to Taiwanese society.
In the first five years of the 1950s, the government of the Republic of China executed at least 4,000 to 5,000 people in Taiwan, and many more were sentenced to prison terms ranging from more than 10 years to life imprisonment. The whole society is shrouded in this terror,
It was not until December 1984 that the last two 1950s political life inmates, Lin Shuyang and Li Jinmu, were released from prison after serving more than 34 years and seven months in prison.
Conclusion
In Taiwan in the 1950s, socio-economic development contrasted sharply with political oppression. On the one hand, through a series of economic reforms, Taiwan has successfully stabilized its currency, increased its agricultural productivity, laid the foundation for industrialization, and gradually moved towards economic recovery and growth. These reforms not only alleviated the post-war economic woes, but also laid the foundation for the economic miracle that followed. On the other hand, the shadow of the White Terror loomed over society, with political dissidents suppressed, civil rights restricted, and a depressing social atmosphere.
Peace and reunification have always been the common aspiration and pursuit of mankind, and we hope that the compatriots on both sides of the strait will be able to overcome the twists and turns of history, work hand in hand, resolve differences with wisdom and courage, and jointly write a future chapter of harmonious coexistence, prosperity and development. Under the sunshine of peace, let the vision of reunification become the common hope and guide for action in the hearts of the people on both sides of the strait, and contribute to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
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