JAPANESE INVASION OF TAIWAN (1895)

The 'Japanese Invasion of Taiwan' of 1895 was a series of wars involved the Empire of Japan and the short-lived Republic of Formosa in the year of 1895, after the Qing Dynasty of China ceded the islands of Taiwan and Pescadores to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki. The conflict lasted for five months, cost the lives of 14,000 Formosan combatants and nearly 5,000 Japanese, mostly due to disease, including Prince Kitashirakawanomiya Yoshihisa of the Japanese Imperial family.

Contents

Prelude

Pescadores

Course of War

Taipei Area

Northern Taiwan

Central and Southern Taiwan

Aftermath

References

See also

Prelude

Pescadores

As the First Sino-Japanese War approached its end, the Empire of Japan concluded that the war was won, and the cabinet decided that the island of Taiwan and Liaodong peninsula must be acquired as the result of war. On March 15, 1895, a Japanese expeditionary force of 5,500 strong set sail for the islands of Pescadores, hoping to secure a base in the Taiwan Strait and force the Qing Empire to agree on the cession of Taiwan. The expeditionary force landed on Pescadores in the morning March 23.
Although there were at least 15 battalions of Chinese soldiers, totaled 5,000 men strong, stationed on the islands, the Japanese met very little resistance during the landing operation because of the low morale among the Chinese, and gained total control of the islands in just two days. However, sub-tropical diseases caused the Japanese some 1,000 lives.
With the Pescadores in possession, the Empire of Japan successfully forced the Qing Empire to agree on their terms.

Course of War

The Treaty of Shimonoseki was signed on April 17, 1895. Upon learning this, some pro-Qing officials and elements of local gentry decided to resist the decision. On May 23, the Republic of Formosa was declared with Governor-General Tang Ching-sung as the first President, General Liu Yung-fu of the Black Banner Force as the Grand General of the Army, and local gentry Chiu Feng-chia as Grand Commander of Militia. The government at first hoped foreign powers would intervene as Taiwan was a prosperous trading post and a major source of coal for ships passing by Taiwan. However, none of the powers were willing to intervene as Japan was becoming more active on international politic, and an intervention would severely damage the relation with the empire.

Taipei Area

On May 10, Admiral Kabayama Sukenori was appointed the first governor of Taiwan, and was given command of all units that were to be used to pacify any resistance. On May 29, 7,000 Japanese soldiers of the Imperial Guards Division, under the command of Prince Kitashirakawanomiya Yoshihisa, landed on the beach of Audi in northern Taiwan, marking the beginning of the war. The first major engagement took place on June 3 at Shihchiuling fort(Traditional Chinese: 獅球嶺砲台) that overlooked the port city of Keelung; the Japanese routed the garrison force and took the fort with little loss. Keelung was subsequently captured in the afternoon of the same day, after the Qing commanders fled the city and left the garrison force leaderless.

When the news of defeat reached Taipei on June 4, President Tang and General Chiu fled the island. Leaderless and without pay, the garrison force in Taipei abandoned their posts and began looting the city. On June 11, with the aid of a local businessman named Koo Hsien-jung, the Japanese captured Taipei and restored order in the city. Kabayama then dispatched the Guard Division to Tamsui and captured the port without firing a shot. The presidency was later assumed by Liu Yung-fu on June 26, who was in the city of Tainan.
The first phase of the war ended on June 18, with Japan firmly in control of Taipei. The Formosan lost at least 200 men, while the Japanese suffered only 7 dead and 25 wounded.

Northern Taiwan

On June 14, Admiral Kabayama arrived at Taipei, and announce the establishment of government on the new territory. He then dispatched several thousands soldiers to take Taoyuan and Hsinchu, expected no resistance. However, the vanguard units encountered heavy resistance from the Hakka militia when closed-in on Hsinchu. The militia, commanded by commoners such as Chiang Shao-tsu and Wu Tang-hsing, ambushed the Japanese force in and around the city, and engaged the Japanese in heavy fighting on Mount Shihpachienshan(Traditional Chinese: 十八尖山). With superior weaponry and number, the Japanese eventually defeated the Formosan and killed Chiang. The remaining Formosan retreated to Miaoli on July 23.
On August 8, reinforced by the Guard Division, the Japanese began pushing towards Miaoli. After several days of fierce fighting on Mount Bichienshan(Traditional Chinese: 筆尖山), the Japanese captured Miaoli on August 14 and ended all major fighting in northern Taiwan. During this period, the Japanese lost many of their supplies to the militia units that operated behind the Japanese line, and some sources suggest that the Japanese used indiscriminate killing of local population in order to suppress militia activities

Central and Southern Taiwan

The Imperial Guard Division took control of Dadu Township in central Taiwan on August 23, and threaten Bagua Fort (Traditional Chinese: 八卦砲台). To counter this move, thousands of Formosan militia and regular, including the famed Black Banner Force, converged in the city of Changhua; a detachment of several hundred soldiers was also sent to Bagua Fort, which was then used to bombard the Japanese position in Dadu across Dadu river.
On August 27, the Japanese crossed the river and initiated a large scale assault against Bagua Fort and Changhua, also known as the Battle of Baguashan. After two days of bloody, hand-to-hand fighting, the Japanese drove the Formosan out of Changhua area on August 29. The Formosan lost countless men as well as many of their commanders.
Though victorious, the Japanese could not press on due to fatigue and the threats of the Tainan garrison under President Liu. Kabayama ordered two task forces to land at Budai and Fangliao, and closed-in on Tainan from three directions. However, both task forces met heavy resistance in Budai and Chiadong, and suffered some casualties included Prince Kitashirakawanomiya Yoshihisa, who some claimed was ambushed and killed by Formosan militia. Despites these, the Japanese captured both towns and completed the encirclement of Tainan.
October 19, realizing that the war was lost, President Liu disguised as an old woman and fled to mainland China via a British merchant ship. The city capitulated and opened its gate on October 23, ended the war between the Republic of Formosa and the Empire of Japan and began the Japanese Administration Era of Taiwan. The last pocket of resistance was crushed at the Battle of the Burning Village in Pingtung, Taiwan. However, sporadic resistance continued on for several more years.

Aftermath

As result of the war, Taiwan was firmly under the control of the Empire of Japan, and all Formosan regular units were either disbanded or shipped back to China. However, the militia units that were raised locally continued the insurgency for nearly 20 years, which forced the Japanese government to adopt an heavy-hand policy in dealing with the local population. On the other hand, Koo, who led the Japanese into Taipei, was granted exclusive business right in Taiwan, making him the wealthiest Taiwanese of his time. His son, Koo Chen-fu, inherited his wealth and founded the Koos Group, which dominated the business sector of modern Taiwan.

References

See also

★ Taiwan Expedition of 1874

★ History of Taiwan

★ Republic of Formosa

★ Treaty of Shimonoseki