The MND was originally established as
Ministry of War in 1912 at the creation of the
Republic of China. It established a military occupation operation center in Taipei, Formosa in November 1945, following the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur's September 2, 1945 General Order No. 1, for the surrender of Japanese troops and auxiliary forces in Formosa and the Pescadores to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. It was changed to the
Ministry of National Defense in 1946. Military operation activities in Formosa and the Pescadores were expanded after Japan renounced its title, right, and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores based on the April 28, 1952
Treaty of Peace with Japan. The Law of National Defense and the Organic Law of the ministry were officially promulgated for implementation on 1 March 2002. On 8 December 2014, the ministry moved out from its building from the previous one at Boai Building in
Zhongzheng District to the current one in Dazhi area at
Zhongshan District, where it houses the Air Force Command Headquarters, Navy Command Headquarters and
Heng Shan Military Command Center. The completion of the building had been delayed for nearly two decades due to the compound original architecture and the bankruptcy of the project's original contractor. The planning for the new building and relocation had been done since 1997. The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 27 December 2014. == Headquarters==