TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — As China threatens to annex Taiwan with force, France 24 on Thursday issued a report that explains why a battle 140 years ago still provides lessons to Taiwan's defense personnel.
In the article titled "In Taiwan, the attempted French invasion of 1884 remains 'a lesson for the defense of the island,'" the author said Taiwan's rugged terrain, with dense jungles and towering mountains, has been described by military planners as "a nightmare for invading forces." However, since the distance between the government headquarters and the coast is relatively short, many military planners have been coveting the idea of using a "decapitation strike" to quickly conquer Taiwan throughout history.
The last time that an actual "decapitation strike" was attempted against Taiwan was by the French army at the end of the 19th century, when European gunboat diplomacy was at its peak. The Battle of Tamsui during the Sino-French War in 1884 saw about 600 French troops landing on a beach 25 kilometers east of Zhuwei at the mouth of the Tamsui River.
The news agency wrote that France’s strategic goal at the time was to seize Taiwan as a bargaining chip to force Qing troops to withdraw from Vietnam.
The report said that in the early morning of Oct. 8, 1884, the French army successfully landed, but encountered stubborn resistance from Qing forces as they advanced inland. Despite heavy covering fire, the French invasion force fought for only a few hours before being forced to retreat.
Lesson 1: Strike first on red beaches
Jiang Hsinbiao (江炘杓), an assistant research fellow at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research, told the news agency that Taiwan's military command is aware of this historic war. One of the lessons is that "it is necessary to destroy the enemy's landing ships while they are still at sea to prevent their soldiers from disembarking."
There are only about 15 "red beaches" in Taiwan that are suitable for People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops to land, which allows defense planners to better determine potential invasion routes. Military analysts point out that most of Taiwan's coastline is too rugged and unsuitable for large-scale military landings.
Jiang said that the width of a typical 'red beach' is such that only one battalion (600-800 soldiers) can land at a time." He added, "If the next wave of troops cannot land in time, the enemy will not be able to consolidate its bridgehead. It will be easily annihilated by the defense forces."
Lesson 2: Willpower determines victory or defeat
Shiu Wen-tang (許文堂), a retired associate researcher at the Institute of Modern History of Academia Sinica, said that the failed invasion in 1884 provided valuable political lessons. Overconfidence was a major factor in France's defeat, and the decision to land only 600 troops against thousands of garrisoned troops was a mistake, said Shiu.
Although the PLA forces are expected to use their numerical superiority, they may still underestimate the Taiwanese will to resist, said Shiu.
Shiu argued that the important lesson for Taiwan is more political than military. He said that it is essential that there is a high level of trust between the people and the military to "withstand the first shock of an invasion without descending into chaos."
He said the key to victory during the Battle of Tamsui was that Qing forces had "effective leaders who enjoyed the trust of the local population." Shiu concluded, "In the end, war is always a matter of will. If a people is not prepared to resist, they have already lost."
