- 11 August 1954 – 1 May 1955
- Brief armed conflict between mainland China and Taiwan
- On Taiwan Strait islands, mainland Chinese coasts, and mainland Chinese coastal ports
- Both, ruled by different parties, claimed to control the whole of China
- Mainland China was ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
- Taiwan was under the control of the Chinese Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT)
- Mao Zedong headed CCP
- Chiang Kai-shek headed KMT
- CCP defeated the ruling KMT in mainland China in 1949
- KMT established its base in Taiwan with a plan to take mainland China back in future
Reason
- For Islands in Taiwan Strait
- Why – islands a potential threat
- Why – islands held by Taiwan but very close to Chinese mainland, just miles away
Conflict
- Started by China
- Why – the US lifted Taiwan blockade
- Why the blockade – to prevent Chiang Kai-shek from attacking mainland China
- The reason – Chiang Kai-shek was now free to attack the mainland China
- Aug 1954 – 58,000 troops to Quemoy and 15,000 to Matsu by Taiwan
- 11 Aug 1954 – Zhou En-lai – Taiwan must be liberated
- 17 Aug 1954 – US warns China against attacking Taiwan
- 3 Sept 1954 – 1st island of Taiwan Strait bombed by China – Quemoy
- Nov 1954 – Tachen Islands of Taiwan Strait bombed by China
- 23 Nov 1954 – long jail terms to 13 US airmen PoWs (Korean War)
- 18 Jan 1955 – China seizes Yijiangshan islands
US Nuke Option
- Proposed by some policymakers in Sept 1954
- US President initially refused to bomb mainland China
- He also refused to send American troops to resolve the crisis
- Mutual Defense Treaty – signed by the US and Taiwan (2 Dec 1954)
- Ratified by the US Senate – 9 Feb 1955
- US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles – possible nuclear strikes against China – 10 March 1955
- Dulles – 15 March 1955 – the US serious about using nukes Quemoy-Matsu area
- President Eisenhower – 16 March 1955 – “A-bombs can be used…as you would use a bullet” – stated publicly
The Formosa Resolution
- 29 Jan 1955 – passed by both Houses of the US Congress
- The US pledged to defend Taiwan – US forces could be used
China Reads the Signs
- 23 April 1955 – will negotiate the Taiwan issue
- 1 May 1955 – stops shelling Quemoy and Matsu islands
- In the end – no victory – Taiwan troops just removed from one island – Tachen
- 1 Aug 1955 – releases 11 US airmen