Isle of Time
Taiwan Under the Regime Transition: Postwar, Takeover, and Order Reconstruction (1945–1949)

Light and Shadow

17 Volumes

Vol. 1

From Cairo to Taipei

In November 1943, the leaders of China, the United States, and Great Britain reached a consensus at ...

3 images
Vol. 2

Surrender and Takeover

In October 1945, the Nationalist government held a surrender ceremony in Taipei, formally ending Jap...

3 images
Vol. 3

The Shibuya Incident

In the early post-war period, tens of thousands of Taiwanese residing in Japan faced an unprecedente...

1 images
Vol. 4

Homecoming of the Overseas

During the Japanese colonial era, large numbers of Taiwanese were mobilized or voluntarily traveled ...

1 images
Vol. 5

De-Japanization

After taking over Taiwan, the Nationalist government immediately launched comprehensive "de-Japaniza...

Vol. 6

The Parliamentary System

In the early post-war period, the Nationalist government established local self-governance and polit...

3 images
Vol. 7

The Constitutional Convention

At the end of 1946, the Republic of China convened the Constitutional Convention in Nanjing, with Ta...

2 images
Vol. 8

The Early Economic Crisis

In the early days of the takeover, Taiwan experienced severe economic turmoil. The Nationalist gover...

Vol. 9

The February 28 Incident

On the evening of February 27, 1947, Monopoly Bureau agents seized contraband cigarettes from a wido...

1 images
Vol. 10

March at the Port of Keelung

On the afternoon of 8 March 1947 the ships of the reorganised 21st Division came alongside at the Po...

Vol. 11

The 27 Brigade

The gunfire of February 28, 1947, spread outward from Taipei, and the fury raced south along the tru...

1 images
Vol. 12

The Battle of Wuniulan

By March 14, 1947, the sky over Taichung had already changed. The 21st Division, which had landed at...

2 images
Vol. 13

The Penghu Incident of 13 July

In the summer of 1949 the staff and students of eight joint middle schools from Shandong came south ...

Vol. 14

The Dilemma of Native Elites

In the early post-war period, native Taiwanese elites faced an agonizing choice: cooperate with the ...

2 images
Vol. 15

Chiang Kai-shek's Diary

Chiang Kai-shek's diary is an invaluable primary source for studying post-war Taiwan history. In the...

Records
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Vol. 16

Voices from Elite Diaries

Beyond official archives and the ruler's diary, the private diaries of native Taiwanese elites offer...

Records
Vol. 17

The American Perspective

The United States played a subtle yet critical role in post-war Taiwan history. As the principal vic...

2 images