Establishment of Jiang Jieshi’s Rule (1949–1950s)
- After the Communist victory in 1949, Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kai-shek) and about two million Guomindang (GMD) officials, soldiers, and refugees fled to Taiwan, re-establishing the Republic of China (ROC).
- The GMD set up a one-party authoritarian state, claiming to be the legitimate government of all China, supported by the United States during the Cold War.
- Under U.S. protection (especially after the Korean War, 1950–1953), Taiwan became strategically important as a bulwark against communism.
- The GMD imposed martial law (1949–1987) to suppress dissent, control the press, and prevent Communist infiltration.
- Jiang centralized power under the Presidential Office and the National Security Bureau, creating a strong, militarized government.
Definition
Republic of China (ROC)
Nationalist government established in Taiwan after 1949, claiming legitimacy over all of China.
Definition
Martial Law
Military rule that suspends normal civil liberties, imposed in Taiwan from 1949 to 1987.
The White Terror (1947–1987)
Origins and Implementation
- The White Terror refers to the four-decade period of political repression under the GMD regime.
- It began after the February 28 Incident (1947), when protests against corruption and inflation were violently suppressed, leaving up to 20,000 civilians dead.
- Thousands of intellectuals, activists, and suspected Communists were arrested, tortured, or executed without trial.
- Military tribunals and the Taiwan Garrison Command monitored the population through censorship, surveillance, and informant networks.
- Fear of persecution silenced dissent, creating a culture of political obedience known as “white terror” because it operated invisibly but pervasively.
Consequences
- The repression crushed local political movements and delayed the development of democracy.
- It deepened mistrust between native Taiwanese (benshengren) and mainlanders (waishengren) who had arrived with the GMD.
- Despite authoritarian control, Taiwan’s economy gradually improved through U.S. aid, land reforms, and industrialization, legitimizing GMD rule for a time.
- The memory of violence and censorship later fueled calls for human rights and democratization in the 1980s.
Definition
February 28 Incident (1947)
Uprising against GMD misrule, brutally suppressed and marking the start of large-scale repression.
Definition
Benshengren / Waishengren
Terms for native Taiwanese and mainland Chinese migrants, reflecting ethnic and political tensions.
