| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 國家發展研究所 === 90 === Student military training system in the Republic of China started officially in 1928, in accordance with a resolution passed by the Steering Committee of the First National Education Conference. The system was deemed as an indispensable part of national warfare strategies, which aimed to call upon all Chinese people, particularly the youth, to join hands to strengthen national security and to fight Japanese invasion, particularly after the so-called “May 3rd Massacre,” in which thousands of innocent Chinese civilians were ruthlessly murdered by Japanese soldiers.
However, with the relocation of the Central Government to Taiwan in 1948, student military training system was temporarily suspended, and it was not until 1951 that the system was re-implemented. The re-implementation was regarded as an urgently needed measure for the Government to ensure full control of its sovereignty and to peacefully maintain social order so that any more social unrest instigated by Chinese Communists such as the tragic “February 28th Incident” and the “April 6th Incident” could be prevented.
Initially, student military training system was implemented in the eight normal universities and teachers’ colleges. In 1943, the system became a required part of all schools above the secondary level, and has been in full force since then. For a period over 35 years, military training officers on all campuses had shouldered the full responsibilities of promoting national defense education, mobilizing all citizens in preparation for war, recruiting new members for the ruling party, preventing pro-communist ideology from spreading, and carefully monitoring student movement campaigns. However, as the democratic process in the Republic of China began to gain more and more momentum, these responsibilities became the center of controversy as to what role military training officers should play on all campuses. After the “Wild Lily Incident” (March 16th, 1990), various proposals had been made, discussed, and debated, and it was in 1998 that the legal basis of the military training system was stripped away, based on the decision of the senior officials in the Ministry of Justice. As a consequence, military training system in the Republic of China is now facing a challenge with insurmountable obstacles.
This thesis aims to sketch a blueprint by which the above-mentioned obstacles can be removed. After a thorough review of similar military training systems in other countries, the thesis, taking into account both the historical perspective and the functional perspective, will look into the strategic aspect (What), the tactical aspect (Why), as well as future development tendencies (How), in order to propose some feasible solutions and to delineate an ideal direction for ROC military training system. In this light, the author sincerely hopes that military training system in the ROC can strike a balance in the three important functions it mainly serves: backing up national security, ensuring campus safety, and serving the students.
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