The Rape of Nanjing

     The Rape of Nanjing (also referred to as the Rape of Nanking or the Nanking massacre) was the brutal murder, pillaging, and sexual assault that took place for 6 weeks in 1937 in the Chinese city of Nanking at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Army.

     The campaign took place amid the Sino-Japanese war. At this point, the Japanese had had a bloody victory at Shanghai, and with the orders of General Matsui Iwane, the first few troops of Japan Central China Front Army marched into Nanjing on December 13. The Chinese leader at the time, Chiang Kai-shek, had as many Chinese troops as possible removed from the city in fear that they would be lost in a battle with the Japanese. Unfortunately, this left the civilians of Nanjing vulnerable and unprepared. Some Western businessmen and missionaries attempted to create a safety zone to provide some sort of protection for the civilians of Nanjing. Regardless, the Japanese troops dismantled the safety zone and continued the killings.

     First, some 90,000 Chinese soldiers (who had already surrendered) were chased down, killed, and buried in mass graves. Then, civilians, regardless of age, were cut down in the streets of their cities. These killings were not swift and merciful; innocent people were bayoneted, decapitated shot, used for killing contests, mutilated, and even burned by Japanese troops. 

     Apart from the murders, the most egregious act of violence committed in Nanjing was the raping and sexual assault of thousands of women; even women over the age of 70, as well as children as young as eight, were not spared. In most cases, the victims were killed or stabbed so that they couldn’t testify against them. Also, random acts of violence and destruction were used to terrorize the civilians of Nanjing, and city-wide burnings, property destruction, and theft took place amongst all the death.

     The Rape of Nanjing was covered in newspapers in Japan, Europe, and the US alike, but the reactions differed greatly. For Japan, the Rape of Nanjing was seen as yet another step in furthering the Japanese empire, so the fall of the city was celebrated. For the West, the magnitude of destruction left a feeling of disbelief. The Allies’ focus was on Europe and preventing Europe from being taken over, and unfortunately, Nanjing was not given the attention it deserved. However, soon after WWII, General Matsui and his lieutenant-general Tani Hisao were found guilty of war crimes and executed. 

Witnesses justifiably described Nanjing as “hell on earth.” The horrifying events that took place there left between 200,000-300,000 people dead, and for the most part, the people who had not escaped or taken shelter in safety zones perished.

Sources:

https://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm

https://www.history.com/topics/japan/nanjing-massacre

https://www.britannica.com/event/Nanjing-Massacre