ABSTRACT
China turned quickly to large-scale civil war, one of the largest wars of modern times. The actual struggle between the Guomindang and CCP was ultimately decided on the battlefield, but there were underlying problems with Chiang's rule that were probably more significant in understanding the cause of his defeat. From the end of World War II into 1948, the political landscape was marked by almost constant protest even as Chiang's secret police continued to use terror against protesters. As war with China neared, Japan's governor-general instituted policies of industrialization and "imperialization" to place Taiwan on a war footing—militarily able and with an industrial base that would help Japan's cause. During the war itself, Taiwanese were recruited for military service, a change in Japanese policy, which before 1937 did not allow colonial subjects to serve. Many more were drafted to labor in military-related industries.
