The Kuomintang's Rebirth Policy toward Underground Communists:Success and Limits

中國國民黨與中國共產黨之間的爭鬥，自1927年國民黨清共後，歷經抗戰、國共內戰，延續到1949年國民黨中央敗退台灣以後。在這漫長的過程中，國民黨為了有效地打擊中共，逐漸發展出所謂的「自新」，它曾在1930年代前期的大陸給予中共沉重的打擊，也曾在1950年代的臺灣讓國民黨成功掃除共黨地下組織。本論文跳脫過去只把自新視為一種處置或法令的論述，將之視為一種涵蓋多方功能的政策來討論，藉以理解自新如何發揮功效，以及其所造成的廣泛影響。 本研究共分為三個主要部份，第一部份說明自新政策在大陸時期的形成背景，包括法令修訂與實際執行狀況，兼論自新政策在1930年代後期逐漸失效的原因。第二部份延續國民黨轉移至台灣的歷史脈絡，以中共臺灣省工作委員會為例，討論在台灣這個不同的時空背景之下，自新政策於偵緝活動、政治宣傳與研究上如何延續與轉變。在前兩部份的討論中，也將同時探討自新政策的運作核心－「自新人員」，深究他們在自新政策中所扮演的角色，國民黨如何利用他們得到軍事與政治上的雙重效益。第三個部份則深入分析自新人員自新後的處境，包括他們與國民黨之間的關係、他們內部彼此間的關係以及他們的自我認同。 過去的研究往往只把自新當作處置共產黨人的手段，或看作官方迫害民眾的惡法，但藉由這份研究，我們得以看見自新作為一項政策所具備的多重功效與影響。此外，本論文藉由討論國民黨自新政策的施行經過，顯示出1949年絕非將歷史截然二分的分水嶺，國民黨從大陸到台灣的施政實有其一貫性。最後，本論文揭露了自新政策在政府美好宣傳背後所充斥的各種矛盾，使這項為國民黨美化過的政治勝利更貼近實際狀況，也讓我們看見個人在自我思想與外在環境衝突時所顯現出來的真實反應。The conflict between the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) plays a significant role in modern China history, and this hostility has lived on after the KMT was defeated and withdrawal its army from Mainland China to Taiwan in 1949. In order to turning the tide of battle with the CCP, the KMT had gradually completed its particular way named “Rebirth.” Emerged in the early period of 1930s, not only the Rebirth policy had helped the KMT to crash the CCP at that time, but had successfully swept underground communists out in 1950s Taiwan. Instead of regarding “Rebirth” as a single punishment or regulation, which were emphasized by previous modern China and Taiwan’s history studies, this thesis attempt to view “Rebirth” as a policy with different layers of effects developed by KMT. From this perspective, we can realize how Rebirth functioned, and its widely influences. This thesis consists of three main parts. In the first part, the historical background and the impacts of Rebirth policy during the mainland period will be discussed, including the details of implementation and revision, and further analyzing the limitations of the policy after mid 1930s. While in the second part, the focus shifts to the period of KMT in Taiwan. The thesis examines that under a completely different circumstance, the way “Rebirth” policy continued and transformed, for instance, investigation of underground communists, government propaganda, and researches of CCP. Meanwhile, as we’ve known that Rebirth Communists had been key point of Rebirth policy, we will see what role Rebirth Communists played, and how KMT used them to gain the best interest in both military and politic side. The final part describes the afterward situation of Rebirth Communists, including the relationship between them and KMT, the complications among themselves, and the self-identity of individuals. While the previous studies has seen Rebirth either as a way of dealing Communists, or as a severe law for torturing the public, this thesis illustrates that Rebirth is a policy containing various functions and effects. Furthermore, with the discussion of KMT’s Rebirth policy, we find that 1949 is not a watershed moment of history, and there has been a continuation both existing in Mainland China and Taiwan. All in all, this thesis seeks to reveal the complex situation behind the seemingly peaceful scene depicted by KMT, to bring the “Rebirth” policy closer to the actual situation at that time, and to demonstrate the real responds of Rebirth Communists as they faced the contradiction between individual thinking and ideology of state machine