Historical Organization
Republic of China
Republic of China
Details
Organization Timeline
Japan presents the Twenty-One Demands
đź“… 18 January 1915Japan delivered demands seeking expanded rights and influence in China, including in Shandong and Manchuria. The episode intensified Chinese nationalism and highlighted how imperial rivalry threatened...
China declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary
đź“… 14 August 1917China entered the war after years of pressure and in hopes of recovering German-held Shandong and strengthening its standing in the postwar settlement. Chinese leaders also sought to end unequal...
Soviet Union and China sign an agreement restoring relations
đź“… 31 May 1924The Sino-Soviet agreement restored diplomatic relations and declared that tsarist-era treaties affecting Chinese sovereignty would be reviewed or annulled. It addressed the Chinese Eastern Railway and...
Japanese forces use the Mukden Incident to occupy Manchuria
đź“… 18 September 1931An explosion near the Japanese-owned South Manchurian Railway was used as a pretext for the Kwantung Army to seize cities across Manchuria. China appealed to the League of Nations, whose inquiry...
Soviet Union and China restore diplomatic relations
đź“… 12 December 1933The agreement restored relations amid Japanese expansion in Manchuria. It reflected shared strategic concerns and the shifting balance of power in East Asia.
Potsdam Declaration calls on Japan to surrender
📅 17 July 1945The United States, Britain, and China issued the Potsdam Declaration demanding Japan’s surrender and setting out terms for postwar occupation and disarmament. The Soviet Union joined the declaration...
Japan announces acceptance of surrender terms
đź“… 15 August 1945Japan announced it would accept the Allied surrender terms, ending the Pacific War. In China, the end of Japanese occupation opened a struggle over political authority and control of territory;...
People’s Republic of China is proclaimed
📅 1 October 1949Mao Zedong proclaimed the People’s Republic of China in Beijing after decades of revolution, Japanese invasion, and civil war. The Nationalist government retreated to Taiwan. The new state’s...
People’s Liberation Army captures Yijiangshan Islands
đź“… 18 January 1955The PRC took the Yijiangshan Islands from the Republic of China during the First Taiwan Strait Crisis. The conflict brought the unresolved civil war into the Cold War security order and demonstrated...
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis begins
đź“… 23 August 1958The PRC began shelling the Kinmen islands, escalating a confrontation with the Republic of China and the United States. The crisis reinforced the militarized division across the Strait and underscored...
Taiwan ends martial law
đź“… 15 July 1987President Chiang Ching-kuo lifted martial law in Taiwan after 38 years. The decision followed sustained opposition organizing and opened a transition toward competitive politics; this history...
Third Taiwan Strait crisis escalates
📅 21 July 1995The PRC launched missile tests near Taiwan during a period of political tension ahead of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election. The crisis brought US carrier deployments and exposed the risk...
Taiwan holds its first direct presidential election
📅 23 March 1996Voters elected Taiwan’s president directly for the first time, choosing Lee Teng-hui. The election consolidated democratic legitimacy rooted in Taiwan’s electorate and took place amid military...
Lai Ching-te inaugurated as Taiwan president
📅 20 May 2024Lai Ching-te took office after Taiwan’s election and delivered an inaugural address calling for dialogue while affirming the island’s democratic self-government. Beijing rejected his framing and...