Project National Glory
Encyclopedia
Project National Glory or Project Guoguang was a military attempt by the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...

-led Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 to try to recapture mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

 held by the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 (PRC). The missions began in 1965. After many failures, the project was dropped in July 1972.

History

After the PRC's disastrous Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...

, the outbreak of Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

 and the prospect of China having a nuclear weapon
596 (nuclear test)
596 is the codename of the People's Republic of China's first nuclear weapons test, detonated on October 16, 1964 at the Lop Nur test site. It was a uranium-235 implosion fission device and had a yield of 22 kilotons...

, Republic of China President Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

 launched planning for a counterattack to recover mainland China.

On April 1, 1961 the Project National Glory office was established by the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 armed forces in Taipei County in the town of Sanxia
Sanxia, Taipei
Sanxia District is an urban district in the southwestern part of New Taipei City in northern Republic of China . It has an area of 191.45 km² and a population of 101,839 ....

. Army lieutenant general Zhu Yuancong took charge as director and officially launched the project to formulate a plan of operations for retaking Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

. Other military members at Xindian
Xindian
Xindian District is a district in the southern part of New Taipei City in northern Republic of China .- History :Xindian's name originated during the Qing Dynasty close to 300 years ago. According to legend, a person named Lin and others came from Quanzhou, Fujian Province...

 and Bitan
Bitan
Bitan , historically called "Shi-Bitan", is a tourist spot in Xindian District, New Taipei City, Republic of China . Bitan literally means Green Lake, referring to where the Xindian River widens to form the lake. There is a well-known suspension bridge that is used only for people on foot. The...

 established Project Juguan offices to discuss and work out an alliance with American troops to attack mainland China. Another office was established for counterintelligence operations, specifically to avoid the US side learning about Project National Glory. In 1962, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 was carrying out the Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...

 and failing. Therefore, the whole country was in poor condition and Republic of China President Chiang Kai-Shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

 was in a hurry and wished to take advantage of the golden opportunity to retake mainland China. During this time, he started active ideological military education to prepare his troops for retaking mainland China.

In April 1964, Chiang ordered the construction of air-raid shelters and five military offices at Cihu (慈湖), which served as a secret command centre.
After the Project National Glory was established, it consisted of the following subsections: Frontal area of the enemy, Rear area special warfare, Surprise attack, Take advantage of counterattack, Come to aid against tyranny. The plan was formulated, fine-tuned and proposed to Chiang Kai-Shek 97 times.

On the American side, they actively opposed the plan to retake mainland China. Therefore, every week they checked the inventory of ROC amphibious landing vehicles. American troops advisory group members even flew over the Project National Glory camp on scouting missions which caused Chiang Kai-shek to become very displeased.

On June 17, 1965 Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

 went to the military academy of land forces to convene with all mid level and above officers to prepare launching the counterattack. Every military officer at the meeting had already prepared a last will and testament. During that time it was demanded that this plan be kept secret and that D-Day's date also be kept secret.

In that time, the Project National Glory was considered to be extremely top secret. According to Republic of China Navy commander in Chief Ye Changtong's recollection, at that time, one security official said to him, just now we had a briefing where we decided to announce our plan to retake mainland China in a day or two. Ye Changtong believed that this kind of military landing would fail and that the essence of the plan was flawed.

On June 24, 1965 dozen of soldiers died during a training drill to simulate Communist attack on major naval bases in southern Taiwan near Zuoying. During this simulated landing maneuver, five amphibious landing craft overturned in the heavy waves. Ten people died in the line of duty and were the first but not last deaths in Project National Glory.

On August 6, 1965, the Zhangjiang naval warship would carry out "Tsunami Number 1" assignment and transport special forces to the vicinity of Eastern mainland Chinese coastal island of Dongshan to carry out an intelligence gathering operation. However, they met with disaster when a Communist torpedo boat ambushed and sunk them, killing 200 soldiers.

In November 1965, Chiang ordered two other naval vessels, the Shan Hai and the Lin Huai, to pick up wounded soldiers from Taiwan's offshore island Makung
Makung
Makung is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Taiwan . Makung is on the western part of the main Penghu Island....

 and Wuchiu. The vessels were attacked by 12 PRC ships, and the Lin Huai was sunk by two torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...

es, with some 90 soldiers killed. After the Makung
Makung
Makung is the county seat of Penghu, in Taiwan Province, Taiwan . Makung is on the western part of the main Penghu Island....

 naval battle Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....

 gradually gave up hope for Project National Glory.

On July 7, 1972 Guoguang office was dissolved and merged into the Ministry of Defense.

Aftermath

In 1971, the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 expelled the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

 to accept the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

 as the legal representative of China in the United Nations. The ROC shelved the project in 1972 as it no longer had international support to attack Mainland China. Chiang Kai-shek died in 1975.

The confidential documents will go on show to the public at Cihu Presidential Burial Place in 2009.

See also

  • Black Bat Squadron
    Black Bat Squadron
    Black Bats 34th Squadron was the name of a corps of CIA reconnaissance plane pilots and crew based in Taiwan during the Cold War. Citizens of the Republic of China, they flew missions over mainland China, or the People's Republic of China , to drop agents and gathered military signal intelligences...

  • Black Cat Squadron
    Black Cat Squadron
    The Black Cat Squadron was a squadron of the Republic of China Air Force that flew the U-2 surveillance plane out of Taoyuan Airbase in northern Taiwan, from 1961 to 1974. The formal designation of the squadron was the 35th Squadron, operating under the cover of a high altitude weather research...

  • Battle of Dongshan Island
    Battle of Dongshan Island
    The Battle of Dongshan Island was a battle fought between the Nationalists and the Communists during the last days of the Chinese Civil War over the control of the Eastern Mountain Island at the southern tip of Fujian, China...

  • Dongshan Island Campaign
    Dongshan Island Campaign
    Dongshan Island Campaign was a series battles fought on the Eastern Mountain Island, Fujian between the nationalists and the communists during the Chinese Civil War when the nationalists unsuccessfully attempted to retake the island from the Communists...

  • Ray S. Cline
    Ray S. Cline
    Ray Steiner Cline was an official at the United States Central Intelligence Agency best known for being the chief CIA analyst during the Cuban Missile Crisis.-Biography:...

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