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The signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki and Taiwan's reaction
On April 17, 1895, the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki officially ended the Sino-Japanese War. One of the contents of the treaty, which demanded that the Qing government cede the island of Taiwan and its affiliated islands to Japan, immediately caused a huge shock in Taiwan. When the news reached Taiwan, not only the common people were shocked and angry, but many gentry and scholars also stood up to express their strong dissatisfaction.
Qiu Fengjia, as one of the well-known local gentry, took the lead in launching the campaign against the cession. He and several other gentry urgently convened several secret meetings to discuss countermeasures. They decided to express the resolute stand of the Taiwan people to the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty and the central government through a joint letter in blood. In the Blood Book, they wrote in their own blood, showing their determination to defend their homeland rather than their lives.
The blood book was quickly produced and sent to Beijing by a special envoy. In addition to the bloody letter, the letter was accompanied by a detailed letter of affection, enumerating the serious consequences that the cession of Taiwan could have for Japan, including the awakening of nationalism, the chaos of social order, and the challenge to the legitimacy of the Qing government's rule. Qiu Fengjia and others stressed that the cession of Taiwan is not only a betrayal of the Taiwan people, but also an injury to the entire Chinese nation.
However, the official response of the Qing Dynasty was unusually indifferent. Beijing turned a blind eye to the strong opposition of the Taiwanese gentry and did not take any substantive measures to respond. The news spread back to Taiwan from Beijing, further intensifying the protests on the island. Qiu Fengjia and the other gentry realized that they could not change the Qing government's decision by relying solely on letters and petitions, and they began to think of more active ways to resist.
During this period, people across Taiwan also began to organize spontaneously. From north to south, rallies and protests have taken place one after another. People gathered in town squares, in front of temples and other public places to express their opposition to the cession. Although the Qing government had troops on the island, they were unable to cope with the growing public protests.
At the same time, some local leaders and influential figures in Taiwan began to secretly contact and discuss the possibility of forming an independent government. They recognize that if they want to protect Taiwan from foreign aggression, they may need to stand up and establish a new regime themselves. Under the impetus of Qiu Fengjia and others, nationalist sentiment in Taiwan gradually rose, paving the way for the establishment of the "Democratic State of Taiwan."
The establishment of the "Democratic State of Taiwan" and military preparations
On May 23, 1895, a historic moment took place on the island of Taiwan. In the face of impending Japanese rule, various segments of Taiwanese society made major decisions in the midst of intense political and social upheaval. In a solemn hall in Taipei City, delegates from all over the island gathered in a hurry, and after a series of intense and serious discussions and voting, they finally proclaimed the establishment of the "Democratic Republic of Taiwan" and elected Tang Jingsong as the president. This decision was not only a direct challenge to the Qing government's decision-making, but also a clear resistance to Japanese aggression.
Tang Jingsong, a figure of considerable political influence in the local area, accepted this important responsibility. He clearly understood that in order to resist the approaching Japanese army, it was necessary to quickly strengthen Taiwan's military forces. Therefore, he immediately launched an urgent fundraiser with the aim of raising the necessary funds for Taiwan's defense work. Through the issuance of war bonds, the holding of donation drives, and the appeal for the support of the business community, he succeeded in amassing 1,200,000 taels of silver. The fundraising process was intense and challenging, requiring a great deal of organization and coordination in a very short period of time.
At the same time, Zhang Zhidong, then governor of Liangjiang, was also concerned about the situation in Taiwan. Although the Qing government had decided to cede Taiwan, Zhang Zhidong was deeply disturbed by this decision. When the official position of the Qing government was not clear, Zhang Zhidong decided to secretly support the Taiwanese resistance. He mobilized a batch of arms, including 20,000 rifles and a large amount of ammunition, and secretly transported them to Taiwan. The arrival of these weapons and ammunition has greatly strengthened the strength of the Taiwanese Resistance Army.
The clandestine transportation of weapons and ammunition is complex and dangerous. Zhang Zhidong assigned a trusted subordinate to secretly carry weapons across the sea to avoid the formal military control of the Qing court. The munitions were secretly shipped from Shanghai to Taiwan in concealed cabins on merchant ships, disguised as ordinary cargo. Throughout the process, participants were extremely vigilant to prevent information from leaking to officials or potential Japanese spies who should not have known.
After the arrival of this batch of weapons in Taiwan, it was quickly distributed to resistance forces in various places. In Taipei, Taichung, and other key areas, local resistance groups began to arm themselves and prepare to face the Japanese army. Although these rifles and ammunition may not be technically advanced as those of the Japanese army, they have greatly boosted the morale and actual combat capabilities of the Taiwanese militia.
The fierce battle for Keelung and its aftermath
On May 29, 1895, as the summer heat gradually warmed up, the Japanese Guards Division arrived at Aodi Beach in Keelung, Taiwan. In the pre-dawn twilight, the Japanese transport fleet was quietly approaching the shoreline, and the dense density of landing craft on the warships was ready to launch a well-planned landing operation.
After learning of the imminent landing of the Japanese army, the Taiwan side urgently mobilized the local volunteers and militia to gather troops as quickly as possible to go to Keelung to resist. As the Japanese landing craft touched the beach, the first wave of Japanese soldiers quickly jumped down and advanced along the slippery sand, attempting to quickly occupy the beach and expand inland.
The Taiwanese resistance forces set up temporary defensive positions on the heights around Keelung. Taking advantage of the terrain, the volunteers and militia built improvised bunkers and trenches, preparing to block the approaching Japanese troops. As the Japanese advanced further, the two sides soon engaged in a fierce exchange of fire in the town of Ruifang, near Keelung.
In the early days of the battle, the Taiwanese volunteers relied on the terrain and initial ambush tactics to give the Japanese a certain amount of obstacles and losses. However, due to the superiority of the Japanese army in terms of troops, weapons and equipment, as well as its rigorous tactical training, the Taiwan Volunteers are under great pressure. The Japanese showed a high degree of discipline and organization, gradually suppressing Taiwan's defensive line through fire suppression and coordinated operations.
As the fighting continued, the Japanese began to use heavy fire support, including mortars and machine guns, to carry out sustained bombardment of Taiwanese positions. The Taiwanese volunteers lacked sufficient heavy weapons and sufficient ammunition supplies to resist the Japanese attack for a long time. Under the continuous firepower and offensive, the Taiwanese position was gradually broken through by the Japanese army.
During the fighting, the number of casualties of the Taiwanese volunteers increased rapidly. Many of the poorly trained militias, while bravery in the face of the organized Japanese offensive, were clearly at a tactical and experienced disadvantage. As the Japanese deepened, the battle at Ruifang became more and more intense, and the Taiwanese side was forced to make a decision to retreat in order to avoid greater losses.
After this battle, the defensive line in northern Taiwan had to be further withdrawn. After occupying the town of Ruifang, the Japanese army began to march into the interior of Taiwan in an orderly manner.
The southward movement of the Japanese army and the resistance of the Taiwanese rebels
With the arrival of July, the focus of aggression of the Japanese army shifted to the central and southern regions of Taiwan. Hsinchu and Miaoli became a strategic focus, and the mountainous and complex terrain here was a big advantage for the defenders. Taiwan's Hakka rebels, organized by local leaders such as Wu Tangxing and Xu Xiang, quickly mobilized and prepared to resist further Japanese occupation.
Wu Tangxing and Xu Xiang are leaders with extensive influence in the region, not only organizing local armed forces, but also trying to mobilize popular support and participation. They knew that in the face of a well-equipped Japanese army, it was only possible to form an effective resistance by making full use of the support of geography and the population.
In the Hsinchu area, the Taiwanese rebels took advantage of the natural barriers in the mountains and set up a number of ambush points, preparing to use guerrilla tactics to deplete the combat effectiveness of the Japanese army. However, the Japanese army, with its superior military organization and firepower superiority, soon launched a powerful attack on Taiwan's defensive line. Japanese artillery and mobile units launched intensive artillery bombardments and assaults, forcing the positions of the Taiwanese rebels to constantly retreat.
The fighting in the Miaoli area was particularly fierce. The mountainous terrain here provided excellent concealment and ambush opportunities for Taiwanese rebels, but it also made supply and communication difficult. The Japanese army took advantage of its strength advantage and solid logistical support to advance on multiple fronts, trying to encircle and cut off the retreat of the Taiwanese rebels. Faced with an increasingly urgent Japanese offensive, Wu Tangxing, Xu Xiang, and other commanders constantly adjusted their tactics in an attempt to find opportunities for counterattacks under unfavorable conditions.
On 14 August, the fighting reached a tragic climax. In a fierce battle, Yang Zaiyun was unfortunately killed while leading his troops in an attempt to break out. His sacrifice greatly affected the morale of the Taiwanese rebels. With the collapse of the defensive line, the resistance of the Taiwanese rebels was greatly weakened. The Japanese army took advantage of the situation to attack in a big way and forcibly broke through the last line of defense of the Taiwanese rebels.
The Japanese occupation of Tainan and the end of the war
By October 1895, Taiwan's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression had entered a critical moment. The Japanese 4th Mixed Brigade focused on the capture of Tainan, an important city in southern Taiwan and an important stronghold of anti-Japanese forces. Tseng Wen-kei, in northern Tainan, has become a focal point of conflict between the two sides, and is considered a strategic point for Tainan to the rest of the north.
In early October, the Japanese army began to gather forces and prepare for a full-scale attack on Zeng Wenxi. At this time, Taiwan's defense forces had been greatly weakened by the fierce fighting that had taken place for several months, and its troops and resources were seriously insufficient. Despite this, the defenders in Tainan organized their last resistance, hoping to stop or at least delay the Japanese onslaught.
On October 19, the Japanese launched a frontal assault on Zeng Wenxi. They deployed a large number of artillery and carried out a heavy bombardment of the Taiwanese defense line in order to soften the resistance. Japanese infantry then launched a ground offensive in an attempt to break through the defenses of the Taiwanese army. Taking advantage of the natural terrain on the banks of the Zeng Wen River, the Taiwanese defenders set up a number of fortifications and tried their best to fight back.
The fighting was fierce, both sides suffered heavy losses. Although the Taiwanese defenders were small in number, everyone desperately resisted, trying to stop the advance of the Japanese army. However, in the face of the overwhelming firepower and numerical superiority of the Japanese army, the positions of the Taiwanese defenders were gradually broken through. After two days of intense fighting, on October 21, the Japanese army finally occupied Tainan, which marked the basic end of Taiwan's War of Resistance Against Japan.
According to the casualty figures released by the Japanese side after the war, a total of 164 Japanese soldiers were killed and 515 were wounded in the battle. However, this figure is only a superficial loss. The Japanese army also faced a serious threat of disease throughout the Taiwan War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. According to official Japanese statistics, 26,094 people were hospitalized due to illness, of which 4,642 died due to illness. Diseases became a huge killer for the Japanese army in Taiwan, especially malaria and other infectious diseases caused by the local climate and sanitary conditions.
By 1911, according to the statistics released by the "Yasukuni Shrine Chronicle", the actual number of Japanese soldiers killed in the battle in Taiwan should be 1,436, and the number of people killed in battle and died of disease far exceeded the previous Sino-Japanese War.
Liu Xiong.Analysis of Tang Jingsong's Ideological Voluntary Factors in Agreeing to Stay in Taiwan[J].Southeast Academic,2007(2):145-148