If someone believes he/she experienced something that did not actually happen, psychologists would describe this phenomenon as a false memory. On the other hand, if someone consciously claims something that did not happen, it is called fabrication. Both instances may be found in historical materials like official documents, memoirs, or oral history. Such fabrications and false memories always lead to misunderstandings of history. This article uses the “Kaohsiung Student Army” and the “Self-defense Forces of Kaohsiung Senior High School” during the February 28th Incident of 1947 as a case study in exploring how fabrications and false memories have affected historical research.
The term “Student Army” first appeared in the official statements after the Kaohsiung suppression during the February 28th Incident. The Kuomintang government (KMT) fabricated it as an excuse for the brutal crackdown. Later, Peng Meng-chi wrote his “Memoirs of the February 28th Incident in Taiwan Province,” further publicizing this claim as the official grounds of suppression. However, the relevant content in that “memoirs” was inconsistent and contradicted the content of military telegrams at that time. After Peng’s memoirs was published, the term “Self-defense Forces” appeared in the interviews of eyewitnesses or participants. Former students of the Kaohsiung Fist High School recalled that there was indeed such a group and it fought against the KMT army. Their recollections cannot be substantiated by relevant evidences in archival documents and often conflict with each other. These confusing accounts resulted in a “Rashomon”-like phenomenon.
Fabrications and false memories in historical accounts hinder a genuine understanding of history. Distinguishing actual and made-up events is a fundamental task in writing history. In studying the February 28th Incident, this effort should be given the utmost attention.