Retreat of the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan

Lore & Background

Following their defeat in the Chinese Civil War, the remnants of the government of the Republic of China (ROC), alongside many refugees, retreated to the island of Taiwan (Formosa) in a process that began with major evacuations in late 1948 and intensified through 1949, with the government's official move to Taipei occurring on December 7, 1949. The exodus is sometimes called the Great Retreat (Chinese: 大撤退) in Taiwan. The members of the Kuomintang (KMT), its officers, and approximately 600,000 ROC troops took part in the retreat, in addition to many civilians and refugees, fleeing the advance of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP, who now effectively controlled most of mainland China, spent the subsequent years purging remnant Nationalist forces in western and southern China, solidifying the rule of the newly established People's Republic of China (PRC).

ROC troops mostly fled to Taiwan from provinces in southern China, in particular Sichuan Province, where the last stand of the ROC's main army took place. The flight to Taiwan took place over four weeks after Mao Zedong had declared the founding of the PRC in Beijing on October 1, 1949. In addition, some of the ROC troops in Yunnan also fled to Burma, where the insurgency lasted until 1961. ROC Army troops remained in control of Kinmen and other islands on the mainland side of the Taiwan Strait, and prevented the PRC from advancing towards the island of Taiwan through the Battle of Kinmen. The ROC continues to remain in control of Kinmen and other nearby islands on the mainland side's Fuchien Province (no territory has changed hands between the ROC and PRC since 1955).

After the retreat, the leadership of the ROC, particularly Generalissimo and President Chiang Kai-shek, planned to make the retreat only temporary, hoping to regroup, fortify, and reconquer the mainland. This plan, which never came into fruition, was known as 'Project National Glory' and constituted the national priority of the ROC on Taiwan. The ROC formally renounced the use of force for reunification in 1991, following the lifting of martial law in 1987, which allowed direct family visits and exchanges between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait.

Reader's Guide

The retreat of the ROC government to Taiwan was a pivotal event in modern Chinese history, marking the effective end of the Chinese Civil War and the division of China into two rival polities. The exodus relocated the political and military leadership of the Kuomintang, along with a large civilian population, to Taiwan, where they established a government that continued to claim legitimacy over all of China. This retreat solidified the de facto separation of Taiwan from the mainland, a situation that persists to the present day. The ROC's continued control of Kinmen and other offshore islands, as well as its long-standing policy of 'Project National Glory'—the plan to reconquer the mainland—shaped cross-strait relations for decades. The retreat also involved the relocation of cultural artifacts, institutions, and scholars, contributing to Taiwan's development as a center of Chinese culture and education. The legacy of the retreat includes the ongoing political and military standoff between the ROC and PRC, the unresolved status of Taiwan, and the eventual shift in ROC policy away from using force for reunification in the 1990s.

Did You Know?

• Approximately 600,000 ROC troops took part in the retreat, along with many civilians and refugees.
• Some ROC troops from Yunnan fled to Burma, where their insurgency lasted until 1961.
• The ROC formally renounced the use of force for reunification in 1991, after direct exchanges (including family visits) began in 1987 following the lifting of martial law.