The National Museum of Taiwan History stated that the 80th-anniversary commemorative series of lectures on the “End of the Sino-Japanese War and the Acceptance of Surrender” was launched on the 7th, inviting the public to collectively reflect upon and contemplate the historical significance of this pivotal era.
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The National Museum of Taiwan History has specially planned three different activities, including a three-day “Academic Seminar on the Sino-Japanese War to the Acceptance of Surrender” from the 15th to the 17th. The seminar will be complemented by the opening of the “Highlights and Shadows: A Mini Exhibition of Important Historical Materials in Taiwan around 1945,” along with six series of lectures co-organized with the Taiwan Archive, inviting the attendees to review and reflect on the history of this crucial era.
The series of lectures officially started on the 7th. The first lecture was given by Professor Li Junshan from the Department of History at National Chung Hsing University, focusing on “The Territory Claims of the Nationalist Government During World War II and the Post-War Changes.” Following that, scholars such as Yang Huyuan, Dai Bao Cun, Gu Hengzhan, Wu Congming, and Li Xiaofeng delivered thematic speeches on military handover, regime transition, indigenous policies, economic control, and post-war topics.
Since the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, which became the largest war in East Asia during the last century and later merged with the European War in 1939 to become World War II, its impact on today’s world has been significant. After the war ended in 1945, the international political landscape was reshaped, leading to a new wave of civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in China. Meanwhile, Taiwan, under the hasty takeover by the Nationalist Government of the Republic of China, tragically experienced the 228 Incident in 1947.
It was reported that the Beijing government would launch a propaganda campaign, legal battle, and psychological warfare in the latter half of this year to commemorate the “Three 80th Anniversaries” (namely the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, the establishment of the United Nations, and the 80th anniversary of the “Recovery of Taiwan”), following its consistent efforts to distort the historical facts of the Sino-Japanese War, misinterpret the post-war international political arrangements, and continue claiming Taiwan as part of China.
The National Museum of Taiwan History stated, “In contrast to Beijing’s inevitable political propaganda of the ‘Three 80s,’ various government departments in our country have prudently responded according to their responsibilities. The National Museum of Taiwan History and the Taiwan Archive, upholding professionalism and duties, have planned the aforementioned three different activities to present the research achievements of the history of the Republic of China and Taiwan at this stage, emphasizing Taiwan-centric interpretative perspectives.”
The six lectures jointly planned by the National Museum of Taiwan History and the Taiwan Archive—will have the first two sessions held in the Taipei branch of the National Museum of Taiwan History, while the remaining four sessions will take place at the Taiwan Archive of the National Museum of Taiwan History. The invited six expert scholars will discuss key issues before and after the end of the war, presenting their years of research results. The lectures scheduled for August 7th and 28th in Taipei will respectively be led by Professor Li Junshan and Associate Professor Yang Huyuan from the Institute of Taiwan History, Culture, and Language of National Kaohsiung Normal University, analyzing the cognitive contradictions and struggles of the major powers toward the Taiwan issue during the wartime from the perspectives of “Territorial Claims” and “Military Handover,” which impacted the development of the Republic of China in Taiwan.
The third to sixth lectures of the series will be held at the Taiwan Archive of the National Museum of Taiwan History. On September 23rd, Professor Dai Bao Cun, former secretary-general of the Taiwan History Foundation, will deliver a lecture on “The Transformation of Showa into the Republic of China: The Chronology of Taiwan from the Japanese Colonial Period to the Post-War Era,” examining the evolution of the ruling authorities’ “chronology” and the issues of historical perspectives and interpretations. On October 7th, Research Fellow Gu Hengzhan from the Institute of Taiwan History at Academia Sinica will speak on “Variations and Continuations in Indigenous Governance before and after the end of the war,” analyzing the reasons and problems of mountainous administration in the early post-war period.
October 21st will feature Professor Wu Congming from the Department of Economics at National Taiwan University, discussing the “Economic Control in Taiwan in the Initial Post-War Period” and outlining the serious financial deficits faced by the Nationalist Government due to the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, leading to economic control measures in Taiwan to gather resources.
The concluding lecture on November 4th will be delivered by Professor Li Xiaofeng, Honorary Professor of the Institute of Taiwan Culture Studies at Taipei University of Education, who will delve into the term “End of the War” from a fundamental perspective, and analyze why Taiwan, unlike other regions under Japanese colonial rule, especially Korea, could not achieve true independence after the war from the perspectives of long-term history and culture.
These six lectures, with diverse perspectives, provide a thorough analysis of the core issues related to the “Acceptance of Surrender” in Taiwan, aiming to enhance the public’s understanding of this historical period and inspire more reflection and foresight. All are welcome to attend and participate in this significant event.