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Pre-Japanese Period (before 1895) [To be completed later.] Japanese Period and World War II (1895 - 1945) [To be completed later.] Nationalist Regime (1945 - 1987) After the defeat of Japan, Taiwan was returned to China in 1945. At this time, full-scale civil war broke out between the Nationalist government, led by President Chiang Kai-Shek, and Communist rebels, led by Mao Zedong. Chiang began preparations to move to Taiwan. On February 28, 1947, Nationalist troops brutally murdered tens of thousands of native Taiwanese. This tragic event, called the 2-28 Incident, is still remembered by the people of Taiwan. On October 1, 1949, the Communists proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and Chiang's government relocated to Taiwan in December 1949. Since then, China has been ruled by two separate governments, one on the mainland and one on Taiwan, both claiming to be the sole legitimate government of all China. The ROC government imposed martial law and temporarily suspended much of the constitution, justifying its actions by citing the constant threat of a Communist attack. Although the KMT maintained the fiction that they would retake the mainland by force, Taiwan became more and more isolated in the interational community. The biggest blow was in 1971, when the UN gave China's seat to the People's Republic. However, the KMT invested heavily in Taiwan's economy, making Taiwan one of the most important manufacturing countries, thus giving other nations an incentive to keep relations with Taiwan. Following the 2-28 incident, many Taiwanese began calling for independence, which was technically an act of sedition. The KMT jailed many of their leaders. The largest opposition rally against the KMT regime was the Kaohsiung Incident of 1979. Dozens of people demonstrating in Kaohsiung were arrested for criticizing the government. Political liberalization was well under way in the 1980's, and the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was established in 1986, the first real opposition to the KMT. The Beginning of Democracy (1987 - present) In 1987, martial law was lifted. Legislative elections were held in 1991, replacing legislators who had held their seats since 1949. In 1996, the ROC held its first direct presidential election, in which the incumbent, Lee Teng Hui, won with 54% of the vote. Previously, the president had been elected by the National Assembly. Finally, Taiwan's people gained full control of their government. The transformation from dictatorship to democracy was completed when Chen Shui-Bian of the opposition DPP won the 2000 presidential election with 39% of the vote, marking the first time in Chinese history that a peaceful transfer of power occurred between two parties. |