Republic of China Army

The Republic of China Army is the largest branch of the armed forces of the Republic of China on Taiwan, also called the ROC Army or, in common usage, the Taiwanese Army. It descends from the National Revolutionary Army, which Sun Yat-sen's Kuomintang founded in 1924 around the Whampoa Military Academy, and which took part in the Northern Expedition, the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War before the government withdrew to Taiwan in 1949. About 80 percent of the army is based on the main island of Taiwan, with the rest on Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other islands. Because no armistice or peace treaty has been signed with the communist government since the Chinese Civil War, its main task is defense against a possible amphibious invasion by the People's Liberation Army, organized under army corps, island defense commands and a reserve command. After martial law was lifted in 1987 its mission shifted from retaking the mainland to defending Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, and it is moving toward an all volunteer force.