Why Taiwan is NOT Ukraine

Audio editing by Eric Schneider
Motion graphics by Vincent de Langen
Thumbnail by Simon Buckmaster
Writing & Direction by Evan

This includes a paid sponsorship which had no part in the writing, editing, or production of the rest of the video.

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Select footage from the AP Archive

[timtebow]

I'll admit, I had my suspicions that Taiwan wasn't Ukraine, and this video just confirms it.

[buckyhermit]

"Taiwanese are less concerned." Reminds me of what I noticed when I worked in Seoul .The South Korean public is way less worried about a North Korean attack than us North Americans. After living there for a few months, I settled into that pattern too and learned it was mostly empty threats, since it makes no strategic or economic sense to attack, not to mention they could lose the support of China (their only ally and lifeline) if they do so, since China does a lot of trade with South Korea. Not to mention the South Koreans and US being a good boogeyman to maintain fear and power over the North Koreans.

[RichM]

Well, this explains why I was having trouble getting by speaking Ukrainian while in Taiwan. Taiwan really isn't Ukraine at all.

[shoking]

man i wanted to go to ukraine but i booked my flight to taiwan thank god this video saved me and showed me they arent the same

[norsefire]

5:39 Not completely true. You omit that Ukraine is very muddy in the seasons of spring and autumn leaving winter and summer the best time for invasions. That's the reason the Russians were mostly on the roads where they could get droned, because they would get bogged up everywhere else.

[OkachaWasTaken]

Taiwan: Is an island

Ukraine: Isn't an island

Therefore Taiwan is NOT Ukraine

[luishernandezblonde]

Taiwan has a far better economy than Ukraine and is far more competitive, as well as having greater international influence despite not being internationally recognised as a state by almost everybody. Not to mention: semiconductor weapons. Taiwan also realises this and is diversifying its investment in the United States and the West to serve as plan B in case of a Chinese invasion. Though I will cast a big "if" when China also needs economic benefits from Taiwan.

[mrflag]

I had my doubts that an island off the coast of China was the same as a country on the North of the Black Sea and sandwiched between Russia and the west but thank you for confirming it

[demonzabrak]

6:33 Going from a 3:1 attacker to defender ratio to a 24:8 ratio isn't actually changing anything, that isn't how force multipliers work in this context. You wanted to leave the defender number unchanged.

[jypsridic]

24:8 is the same thing as 3:1 when you multiplied the defender's advantage it should have gone to something like 24:1 instead of what you did.

[alcaulique]

Apart from mistakes other people outlined, I think that you overlooked one major element, urban warfare. Taiwan has a density of 652/km2, Ukraine 73/km2. During the first phase of the Russian invasion, we have seen Russia bypass major cities without trying to take them (apart from cities impossible to bypass). And there is a good reason for this, urban warfare (i.e. fighting in town or cities) is a real pain for modern armoured forces, especially when attacking. You are exposed to small groups of fighters, booby traps and snipers. So usually, attacking in urban environment you are left with two possibilities, clear building after building which takes times and men or obliterate the city. While the russian army bypassed every urban environment they could, they went for the destruction of other urban environment. But as I said, Ukraine is far less densely populated than Taiwan. Thus, when you factor in urban warfare, amphibious warfare and mountain warfare, you are left with a clusterfuck that takes time, men and logistic to take. While the alternative means the total destruction of Taiwan.

[nanjiang]

Unlike Ukraine, the island of Taiwan is more difficult to invade but also near impossible to get any support from outside.

[tullochgorum]

Interesting point about the US WWII invasion plan, and the conclusion that the island is such an extremely difficult target. That was based on a depth of practical experience of amphibious landings that no modern military can match.

[thomaslavery]

I think it is also important to mention that Taiwan produces 90% of the world's advanced chips. Without them straight up every single industry will collapse. There are two reasons why this is important. One it will literally force the US to defend Taiwan whether they want to or not, plus the US also already has national security reasons for defending Taiwan. The second is that China straight up buys their chips from Taiwan too, it would be self-sabotage to invade Taiwan.

[Nukesnipe]

"Conscript armies are more apathetic and less effective" except when it's their home on the line. I think we have seen in Ukraine just how hard it is to break someone's morale when A: you're trampling their stuff and B: they hated your even before that

[CrystallineFoxCF]

2 minute version: Geography forbids that two countries on opposite sides of the globe from being the same place

[ThwipThwipBoom]

11:36 Why didn't they include Trump in this timeline? I'm no fan of Trump personally, but Trump was an official president of the US so he shouldn't be removed from the timeline imo

[hassansci]

Just on a side note: 24:8 is the same as 3:1.
Multiply the number of attackers not defenders.

[JohnCrossman]

I had not heard the concept of China using Taiwan as a convenient "nationalist enthusiasm button" before. Now that you pointed it out, it seems so very obvious. I have lived and worked in both Taiwan and Shanghai so I would like to compliment you on how well you have researched, understood and characterized each side. Well done!

[globalmyths]

"Ukraine is not Taiwan, and Taiwan is not Ukraine"
Learn something new everyday