Articles

Colonial Taiwan as Seen by Soviet Analysts, the 1920–1930s

Vostok/Oriens '2014, №3

 
Soviet and Comintern analysts of the 1920–1930s dealt with Taiwan (Formosa) as a Japanese colony – an important part of the Japanese empire and a potential area of revolutionary and Communist movement. Absence of Soviet representatives in Taiwan and strict control imposed on visiting foreigners by Japanese authorities limited their sources of information to foreign languages publications and messages from Chinese Communists. Soviet authors focused attention on Taiwan’s economic development (agricultural as well as industrial), on class struggle and national problems. Soviet analysts tried to find out how important was Taiwan for Japanese economy, military position and possible southward expansion, and how substantial were prospects of anti-Japanese activities on the island. Pre-war Soviet publications on Taiwan demonstrated a big volume of reliable data analyzed quite shrewdly but under strong influence and pressure of Communist orthodoxy. These authors under-estimated undeniable achievements of Japanese colonial rule and over-estimated prospects of anti-Japanese struggle, of trade union activities and especially of still-born Communist movement.

Keywords: Taiwan, USSR, Comintern, colony, agriculture, geopolitical position, anti-Japanese struggle, Communist movement

Pages: С. 28–38