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21 Oct 1895 Fall of Tainan and collapse of Republic of Formosa

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  • [China] Liu Yongfu protects Tainan after the victory obtained together with the native people

    Liu Yongfu protects Tainan after the victory obtained together with the native people
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    Shelfmark： 16126.d.2(9)
    Title: [China] Liu Yongfu protects Tainan after the victory obtained together with the native people
    The Japanese army advanced south attacking towns along the west coast of Taiwan until on 21 October 1895 it captured the city of Tainan which had been the centre of the Republic of Formosa and the base of its army since the fall of Taipei. Before the Japanese attack on Tainan, Liu Yongfu, who had taken command of the army and government of the Republic following the flight of President Tang Jingsong, escaped to China and the Republic collapsed. This print shows a large-scale battle at Tainan between the Japanese army and the forces of the Republic of Formosa.
    the British Library
    [Shelfmark： 16126.d.2(9)]
    All images of the prints used on this website are provided by the British Library and are in the public domain.
    PUBLIC DOMAIN

Documents

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Reference Code： C11080842300 Title： Daisan 105. 16 September 1895. Telegram re forces under the command of Deputy Governor-General Viscount Takashima Tomonosuke
Telegram sent on 16 September 1895 to Imperial General Headquarters by the Governor-General of Taiwan, Admiral Kabayama Sukenori. It reports that a new force for the pacification of southern Taiwan, called the Southern Expeditionary Army (Nanshingun), had been formed from the Imperial Guards, the 2nd Division and the 4th Mixed Brigade and had been placed under the command of the Deputy Governor-General of Taiwan, Lieutenant General Takashima Tomonosuke.
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Reference Code： C08040626200 Title： 1895. Plans of army operations and report on the military situation relating to the conquest of southern Taiwan. Reports from the main fleet to the Governor-General's Office and the Southern Expeditionary Army and miscellaneous documents relating to loot and prisoners of war (1)
Plans for the attack on southern Taiwan sent by Lieutenant General Takashima Tomonosuke, commander of the Southern Expeditionary Army (Nanshingun) charged with the attack on Tainan, to Vice Admiral Arichi Shinanojō, Commander-in-Chief of the Standing Fleet. From the timetable shown in Image 5 onwards it is clear that the plan was for the 2nd Division, which was in the Liaodong Peninsula, the 4th Mixed Brigade, located in the area around Jilong (Keelung), and the Imperial Guards, which were advancing south from northern Taiwan, to join up between the end of September and the middle of October and to launch a three-sided attack on Tainan from 31 October. However, in fact by this date the Japanese army had already captured Tainan.
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Reference Code： C11080848600 Title： 13 November 1895. Annex. Submitting the operational schedule for mid October and 10-day report for 21 to 31 October. Staff officer, Taiwan-Governor's General Office.
Report dated 13 November 1895 sent by a staff officer of the Office of Governor-General of Taiwan to Imperial General Headquarters in Japan giving details of the movements of the Southern Expeditionary Army (Nanshingun) in mid October. It records that on 21 October part of the 2nd Division had entered Tainan, with no resistance from the Formosan army and the following day the headquarters staff of the Southern Expeditionary Army, along with other military units, had moved to Tainan. It further states that information had been received that Liu Yongfu, senior military commander of the Republic of Formosa, had left Taiwan on 19 October.