The Republic of Formosa (Chinese: 臺灣民主國; Pinyin: Táiwān Mínzhǔ Guó), or Taiwan Republic was a short-lived political entity that existed between the 23rd of May and the 21st of October 1895, that was declared by Chinese officials and academics on Taiwan with the purpose to resist the Japanese takeover following the Treaty of Shimonoseki. The republic didn't manage to garner recognition from any of the powers and posed practically no threat to Japanese hegemony.