After the Second World War, Taiwanese people enthusiastically welcomed a new era. Students took the initiative to learn Mandarin, aspiring to facilitate cultural and linguistic interactions with the new government. Under the leadership of Koeh Siu-chong, a student from the College of Medicine at National Taiwan University, the Taiwan Student Alliance was founded in October 1945, with the aim to promote common use of Mandarin and advocate for Three People's Principles.

After the end of World War ll, many Taiwanese students and intellectuals in Japan returned to Taiwan or planned to contribute their skills to society. Some even formed the "New Taiwan Construction Research Association." However, this enthusiasm was quickly eroded by reality. Many social elites were rejected from government positions because of their “inability to speak Mandarin, write in Chinese, or understand official document procedures”. Thus, they could not fulfill their aspirations of contributing to the country and society. In addition, the Nationalist government officials and educators at the time demonstrated poor qualities and inadequate behavior, even engaging in corruption and fraud. Never had such a situation entered the students’ imagination. After their expectations were shattered, dissatisfaction from many students transformed into strikes and protests.

Before the outbreak of the 228 Incident, two major student protests had occurred in Taipei. The first one happened on December 20, 1946, when students organized a march to demand justice for the mistreated Taiwanese expatriates in the Shibuya Incident in Japan. The second one took place on January 9, 1947, when Taipei students initiated a protest in response to the Shen Chong case in Beijing. Although these two incidents originated overseas, they served as an important inspiration for students' involvement in social movements.