Incident of February 28, 1947

The incident of 28 February ( Chinese 二二八事件 , Pinyin èrèrbā Shijian ), including 228 incident or 228- massacre was one in 1947, all the Taiwanese island -sensing uprising against the KMT -Militärgouverneur Chen Yi ( 陳儀 , Chen Yi ). Today February 28 is a national holiday in Taiwan to commemorate Peace Day .

Taiwan had been handed over from Japan to the Republic of China two years earlier . As a result, tensions developed between the long-established population, the Taiwanese, and the newly immigrated mainland Chinese . A quarrel between a cigarette seller and an anti-smuggling officer on February 27, 1947 sparked public unrest, which was violently suppressed by the Chinese military . Between 10,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed.

prehistory

Taiwan under Japanese rule

Main article: Taiwan under Japanese rule

As a result of the lost Sino-Japanese War of 1894/95 , Imperial China had to cede the entire island of Taiwan to Japan. The time of Japanese rule is viewed more positively by the local population than in almost all other parts of East Asia . During its 50 years as a colonial power, Japan helped to strengthen the Taiwanese economy and raise the standard of living of its people to a level above that of many other regions in Asia . There were also successes in the field of education. The literacy rate in 1939 was over 80 percent. The way was open to numerous younger Taiwanese to study at Japanese universities . The local upper class was respected by the Japanese and the rule of law was largely observed. In 1905 the island received electric light . As a result of this development, the average Taiwanese were better educated and more open to modern life than the people of mainland China . The higher standard of living as well as an understanding of the importance of political organization and modern communication (such as newspapers , radio and telephone ) were to play an important role in the February 28 incident.

At the same time, Japanese rule led to the colonization of Taiwan in a three-step process. It started with a repressive , paternalistic approach. In the second phase ( dōka (同化, 'assimilation')) it was postulated that the Taiwanese were different from the Japanese, but the same. In the last phase ( kōminka (皇民化運動, 'Japaneseization')), the residents of Taiwan were to be prepared to fight for the Japanese Tennō . For this they should be taught the Japanese spirit so that they can finally assimilate into Japanese society. The Japanese education system was imposed on the Taiwanese and they were forced to adopt Japanese names. In this last phase an educated and organized local upper class emerged. A Taiwanese self-confidence developed that stood out from the Japanese and the Chinese. The Taiwanese pushed for representation in the Japanese parliament , which was finally granted to them in early 1945, shortly before the end of World War II . During the war, young Taiwanese were also drafted into the Japanese army to fight against mainland China and other parts of Southeast Asia .

The colonial rule of Japan resulted in the indigenous Taiwanese becoming alienated from their counterparts in mainland China . Many of them were able to read and write Japanese, but had insufficient knowledge of Mandarin Chinese . Some were unable to even cope with everyday communication in Chinese. Teaching the "Japanese spirit" did the rest to widen the gap. In particular, the younger generation, born and raised during the period of Japanese rule, had a more neutral or even pro-Japanese attitude. In contrast, there was the older population, who celebrated the Chinese takeover after the Second World War. However, this joy came to a quick end when disillusionment with the Chinese administration set in.

Tension between locals and mainland Chinese

Chen Yi, the chief administrative chief of Taiwan, arrived on October 24, 1945 and received the last Japanese governor, Andō Rikichi , who signed the declaration of surrender the next day. He declared the day to be the retransfer day. Since Japan did not give up its sovereignty over Taiwan until 1952, this fact was legally controversial.

After the capitulation of Japan , national Chinese rule over the island began in October 1945. In the immediate post-war period, the repressive and corrupt policies of the Kuomintang (KMT) in Taiwan led to discontent among the local population. Trade in products such as alcohol , tobacco and matches were nationalized; they were only allowed to be sold by the state monopoly office. Foreign brands were banned. As a result, the inflation rate rose and a large black market emerged. Economic mismanagement has also resulted in food shortages. Mainland persons held almost all political and judicial offices. Many members of the Chinese national garrison were also undisciplined, stealing and looting from the local population.

Many of the mainland Chinese who dominated the island's new administration had arrived with fresh memories of the crimes committed by the Japanese during World War II. They had no sympathy for the Taiwanese people, who had come to know the Japanese as colonial rulers, but who had also come to appreciate the technical and economic progress brought about by the Japanese. Many of the mainland Chinese who had fled belonged to the elite of the old Republic of China, were administrative officials, engineers, intellectuals, etc., and found the long-established Taiwanese population, most of whom did not speak standard Chinese and most of them had no higher education, to be primitive and uneducated. This different background heightened tensions between the two groups.

Uprising against the Supreme Administrator and raid

Yidingmu Police Station in Taipei on the morning of February 28, 1947

The Taipei Branch of the Monopoly Bureau is occupied by protesters

Kuomintang troops mount a machine gun on a fire engine

Taiwanese killed during the post-uprising white terror

The uprising against the government finally broke out on February 28, 1947. It was caused by an incident with a cigarette seller who, like many of the impoverished Taiwanese people, sold the very profitable western cigarettes. However, this had previously been banned by the Chinese national government in the interests of the self-preservation of the Chinese people. This woman was approached by a competent continental official at the Chinese Monopoly Office, to which she replied that she had a family to support and why he did not focus on the wholesalers. Excited about the accusation, the officer knocked her down, whereupon passers-by attacked the officer and the officer tried to flee. Other police officers refused to help and tried to flee as well. In a fit of fear, a police officer turned and shot into the crowd, killing a civilian. The angry crowd then marched to the monopoly office in one body and burned it down while the employees fled. Subsequent protests in Taipei were violently suppressed by ROC forces. This eventually led to a rebellion that spanned the entire island of Taiwan. Reports of real and alleged government atrocities spread over the radio and over the phone.

After February 28, the rebels held control of large parts of the island for a few weeks. They were usually well organized and knew how to coordinate their actions. Public order in the rebel areas was maintained by a short-term police force made up of local high school students. The local leaders of the uprising quickly formed a committee which submitted to the government a list of 32 demands for reform of the provincial government. By feigning negotiations, the nationalists tried to buy time in order to gather a large military power on the mainland in the meantime. Upon arriving in Taiwan, ROC troops carried out massive raids and launched a campaign of terrorism that killed many Taiwanese and imprisoned thousands of others.

The massacres took place deliberately and deliberately against the local upper class and educated Taiwanese. Many of those who formed home rule groups during Japanese rule were now victims of February 28th. A disproportionately high number of victims were Taiwanese middle and high school students, who made up a large part of the short-term police forces in the rebel areas. Their weapons were mainly sabers, swords and knives. In some cases, they had also been able to steal rifles from fleeing or killed soldiers. However, these were inferior to the large-caliber and machine guns used by the mainland soldiers. There were reports that ROC forces either arrested or shot anyone in school uniforms. The initial "purge" was followed by the White Terror , which lasted until the end of martial law in 1987. Until then, thousands of Taiwanese had been imprisoned or executed for their real or subordinate opposition to the Kuomintang regime . On the part of much of the local population, this created a deep-seated feeling of bitterness towards the mainland Chinese .

The total number of victims as a result of the February 28 incident is still under discussion. Some say around 30,000 Taiwanese were killed, while others believe the majority of those killed were innocent mainland civilians. The determination of the number of victims is still under investigation. Some time ago, the Taiwanese government released some sensitive documents. The official estimate is between 10,000 and 30,000 dead, mainly during the initial "cleanup". The Taiwanese government has set up a civilian reparations fund that is supported by public donations. The victims' families are to be compensated from it. However, only a few hundred have made demands, although the deadline has been extended several times.

aftermath

For several decades, the authoritarian KMT government banned public debate on the events after February 28, 1947. Many children grew up without knowing that the event had even occurred. In the 1970s, the Justice and Peace Movement emerged on February 28th . It was founded by some civil rights groups to revise this policy of secrecy. In 1992, the government released the February 28 investigation report into the incident. President Lee Teng-hui , who took part in the uprising against the Kuomintang rule as a young communist , formally apologized on behalf of the government for the massacres in 1995 and in 1997 declared February 28 a national holiday to commemorate the Victim. Among other monuments that were erected, the New Park in Taipei was renamed the February 28th Memorial Park under the then Mayor Chen Shui-bian . A February 28th Memorial Foundation was also set up to provide financial compensation to the victims and their families. In 2003, Chen Shui-bian - meanwhile in the presidency - rehabilitated 228 convicts. The victims' families have asked the government to de-secrecy certain documents in order to record all soldiers who were responsible for the incident. However, the government has not yet acted on this issue.

The main focus of the February 28 incident for Taiwanese people was on autonomy from mainland China , but not independence. The failure of negotiations with the ROC authorities in early March 1947, as well as the feeling of being betrayed by the government and mainland China in general, is widely believed to be one of the main reasons behind the Taiwanese independence movement.

On February 28, 2004, over a million Taiwanese people attended the 228 hand-in-hand rally . They formed a human chain 500 kilometers long . It reached from Taiwan's northernmost city of Keelung to the southern tip to commemorate the February 28 incident, call for peace and protest against the deployment of missiles by the People's Republic of China along the mainland coast. The rally was organized by the Pan-Green Coalition ( DPP ).

On the other hand, supporters of the Pan-Blue Coalition (KMT, PFP and CNP) accused their political opponents of using the February 28 incident too much for their own political ends and of widening the gap between mainland Chinese and local Taiwanese in order to win votes . The subject is still highly politicized in Taiwan.

Today, two museums in the Taiwanese capital commemorate the incident: the Taipei 228 Memorial Museum and the National 228 Museum.

Timeline of the February 28 incident

February 27, 1947

Eve:
- Taipei:
  - 7:00 p.m.: A dispute between officials of the monopoly authority and a black market cigarette dealer attracts the attention of passers-by. The officers reportedly hit the trader's head with weapons, causing an uproar among the people standing around. In a scuffle that followed, one of the people standing around was shot.
  - 9:00 p.m.: Angry crowds surround the police headquarters and demand the arrest and prosecution of the officers.

February 28

Tomorrow:
- Taipei:
  - Protesters march peacefully through the city demanding the arrest and trial of the officers.
  - The news of the demonstration reached the rest of the island by radio.
Early afternoon:
- Taipei:
  - 12:00 p.m.: After arriving at the head of government's headquarters, the protesters are shot at by security forces, killing several people.
  - 2:00 p.m .: Taipei City Council adopts a resolution calling on Prime Minister Chen Yi to punish the officials and form an arbitration committee.
Late afternoon:
- Crowds form in the streets. There have been reports of mainland Chinese (especially those who work for the government) being beaten by angry mobs. Government offices are attacked in Taipei and Keelung.
- Government buildings are fortified. Reports of soldiers in trucks shooting indiscriminately in the streets of Taipei and Keelung.
- Martial law will be declared in Taipei at 3:00 p.m. and will soon be extended to all major cities.
- Government broadcasting denies the incident in a broadcast.

Early March

Government power is largely limited to a few government buildings and garrisons. Control of Taipei , Keelung , Kaohsiung , Hsinchu , Taichung, and Chiayi rests primarily with arbitration committees and local city councils. School groups usually take on the local police duties. Isolated battles continue in various locations, but the situation is mostly calm.
Citizens' assemblies are held in cities across the island to prepare proposals for government reform.
Debate between the Arbitration Committee and Taiwanese people in general on whether to pursue reform of the existing system or start a full revolt against the Republic of China. The reformists eventually got the upper hand.
The arbitration committee is continuing negotiations with Prime Minister Chen Yi in the hope of bringing about government reforms.
Radio amateurs in Taiwan receive news from colleagues on the mainland that ROC troops are gathering to invade Taiwan.
Representatives from the US consulate in Taipei are proposing that Taiwan be placed under the trusteeship of the United Nations, as many residents have requested, given the ineffectiveness of the ROC government. The State Department rejects the idea.

1st March
- Tomorrow:
  - Taipei:
    - Taiwanese leaders meet in the Zhongshan Building ( 中山堂 ) in Taipei and form a " Monopoly Settlement Committee" ( ２２８事件處理委員會 ). Among other things, they demand the abolition of martial law and a general reform of the provincial government.

2nd March

The arbitration committee is enlarged to include members of parliament, students, trade unions and other public figures.
Representatives of the head of government begin negotiations with the committee, which issues a list of demands.
Prime Minister Chen Yi agrees with demands for reform, promises not to send additional troops from the mainland to Taiwan during the negotiations and to restore the island's transport system to prevent food shortages. Secretly, however, Prime Minister Chen has requested reinforcement troops from the central government of the Republic of China in Nanjing .
Taipei is considered mostly calm compared to the previous days. In other cities, however, disorder spreads as government offices in Taoyuan , Hsinchu , Yuanlin , Douliu and Chiayi are attacked.
Troops from the south ordered north by the head of government find railroad lines sabotaged by residents near Hsinchu and local barricaded roads delaying their arrival.

3 March

The negotiations continue. The government agrees to withdraw all troops from the cities in garrisons and camps.
In Taipei, high school students and recent high school leavers form the Loyal Service Corps ( 忠義服務隊 ) to maintain law and order in the absence of government power. Residents of large and small towns form temporary police forces across the island in order to maintain public order and to protect immigrants from the mainland from reprisals. These groups are mostly composed of middle and high school students.
Troops in Chiayi shoot civilians, costing several victims.
The Taiwanese military leadership secretly designates Taipei and Keelung as "safe areas" in which martial law is enforced. Hsinchu and Taichung become "defensive areas" that serve as a buffer zone.

4th of March

Middle and senior high school students in Taipei hold public order restoration meetings.
Students from Kaohsiung First Senior High School ( 高雄一中 ) form a "self-defense force" to protect mainland immigrants at the school building.
The Arbitration Committee has issued a two million yuan loan to buy food to prevent hunger. It announces all cities and towns to send representatives for negotiations.
Troops near Chiayi fire mortars into the city, causing the deaths of several people.

5. March

The Taiwanese Railway Authority reports to the Arbitration Committee that all railway connections have been restored.
Local leaders are asking the US consulate to send a message to the ROC government in Nanking not to send troops to Taiwan.
The arbitration committee decides to contact the central government of the Republic of China in Nanking directly.
ROC Intelligence Service agents in Taiwan are sending reports to Nanking claiming the Taiwanese are collaborating with the CCP and trying to overthrow the central government.

6th March

In another radio address, Prime Minister Chen promised political reforms and local elections on July 1, 1947.
Head of government Chen reports after Nanking, claiming that the Taiwanese wanted independence. He is pushing for an armed crackdown.
Five members of the Kaohsiung Committee visit ROC forces stationed outside Kaohsiung and urge them to leave. Three of the members are shot and one arrested while the fifth is released.
ROC troops attack Kaohsiung. There are many casualties in the indiscriminate fire.

7th March

The arbitration committee presented Prime Minister Chen with a list of 32 demands, which included administrative and political reforms. A petition in which the committee states that its intention is political reform rather than an uprising against the central government or Taiwan's independence is rejected.
Troops attack Kaohsiung First Senior High School , killing three insurgent students.
Despite appeals from the local arbitration committee to avoid conflict, armed clashes between garrison troops and civilians take place in Keelung.
In Taichung, classes in public schools will resume. A militia under the name “27. Brigade ”( 二七部隊 ) is formed in Taichung.
The local militia in Chiayi attacked the government's arms depot and captured weapons. They are supported by indigenous fighters.

8th of March

ROC reinforcements from mainland forces at Keelung and Kaohsiung and indiscriminate street shootings begin. Military units already stationed in Taiwan leave their barracks and start shooting. The newly arrived troops begin invading Taipei and other cities.
ROC troops attack Taipei at 9:00 p.m. Gunshots can be heard throughout the Taipei area.

March 8th to late March

Fighting intensifies as ROC forces begin what will become a massive raid. Reports of indiscriminate slaughter of civilians and looting by soldiers are mounting.
The "purges" begin with local elites, students, intellectuals and leaders. They are arrested or shot. Members of the arbitration committee and the "Loyal Service Corps" are singled out for reprisals and liquidations.
Some local resistance groups, such as the 27th Brigade, fight against the ROC military but are eventually pushed back into the mountains and broken up.

9th March

The Taiwanese military leadership issued a communiqué ordering all “illegal organizations” to be disbanded before March 10 and banning all meetings and public gatherings.
The purges begin in Taipei and Keelung.
Troops in Chiayi massacre 13 civilians.

March 10th

Prime Minister Chen Yi declares the arbitration committee to be an illegal organization and re-imposes martial law.
The President of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek , has announced that the unrest in Taiwan can be traced back to agitation by communist elements.
Four civilians in Yilan , including the head of the local agricultural school, are being executed by ROC forces.

March 11

All unauthorized telecommunications and transport routes are prohibited.

March 12th

ROC troops enter Taichung. The local student leader is executed.
The 27th Brigade withdraws to Puli .
ROC troops invade Tainan.

March 13th

Newspaper offices are attacked and closed. Illegal books are burned.

the 14th of March

Curfew in Taipei and Keelung.
The military leadership in Taiwan announced that the "insurrection has been put down."

March, 15

Curfew in Tainan.
Public order restored in Taichung.

March 16

The 27th Brigade disbanded.

17th April

A census is carried out.

May 11th

Chen Yi is ordered back to the mainland.

May 16

The government of Taiwan Province is formed in place of the head of government's office.

25. May

The government of the Republic of China has declared the incident to be completely resolved.

literature

Günter Whittome: Taiwan 1947. The uprising against the Kuomintang. Hamburg 1991, ISBN 3-88910-090-2

Web links

Commons : Incident of February 28th - album with pictures, videos and audio files

George H. Kerr: Formosa Betrayed - Groundbreaking Work by the Historian and Former US Diplomat (PDF)
Allan J. Shackleton: Formosa Calling - eyewitness report from a New Zealand UN official
Stefan Fleischauer: Interpretations on 228: The 28th February 1947 Incident on Taiwan and the Taiwan Independence Movement ( Memento from September 30, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) - Lecture presented at the 3rd Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS) in Paris 2006 (PDF, English)
Taiwan commemorates a massacre 65 years ago - report in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung on the occasion of the anniversary celebrations

Individual evidence

^ Taiwan's Peace Memorial Day on February 28 with flags at half-staff (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago). Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 10, 2008, accessed June 9, 2018 .
^ Processing in Chinese. June 2, 2019, accessed on June 21, 2019 (German).

[1] Taiwan's Peace Memorial Day on February 28 with flags at half-staff (Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Chicago). Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, March 10, 2008, accessed June 9, 2018 .

[2] Processing in Chinese. June 2, 2019, accessed on June 21, 2019 (German).