Rape of Nanking

Rape of Nanking was a period of mass murder, rape, looting, and arson committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after its capture of the city of Nanking during the Second Sino-Japanese War. The atrocities began on December 13, 1937, upon the fall of the city to Japanese forces, and lasted for several weeks. The event remains one of the most infamous episodes of the 20th century and a central point of historical and political contention between Japan and China.

Background and context

The massacre occurred within the broader context of the Second Sino-Japanese War, which had begun with the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in July 1937. Following the hard-fought Battle of Shanghai, Japanese forces advanced toward the Chinese capital of Nanking. The National Revolutionary Army, under severe strain, appointed General Tang Shengzhi to command the city's defense. As Japanese troops, including the Shanghai Expeditionary Army and the 10th Army, closed in, the Chinese government under Chiang Kai-shek relocated to Wuhan. The impending assault on the city, under the overall command of General Iwane Matsui, set the stage for the subsequent violence against both soldiers and civilians.

The massacre

Upon breaching the city walls, soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army embarked on a systematic campaign of violence. Tens of thousands of captured Chinese soldiers, from units like the Nanking Garrison Force, were summarily executed in locations such as the Yangtze River and Mufu Mountain. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East later documented widespread instances of rape, torture, and mutilation. Foreign nationals, including John Rabe of Siemens AG and American missionary Minnie Vautrin, established the Nanking Safety Zone, which sheltered over 200,000 civilians. Despite this, Japanese troops frequently raided the zone, committing further atrocities documented by individuals like surgeon Robert O. Wilson and journalist Frank Tillman Durdin.

Aftermath and legacy

The immediate aftermath saw a devastated city with a decimated population. Estimates of the death toll, as presented at the Tokyo Trials, range from 200,000 to over 300,000. The event profoundly shaped Sino-Japanese relations and became a pivotal case in the development of international law on war crimes. Key figures like General Iwane Matsui and Foreign Minister Kōki Hirota were convicted for their roles by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and executed. The massacre is memorialized in numerous historical works, most notably Iris Chang's 1997 book, which brought renewed global attention to the event.

Controversies and historical debate

The historiography of the event is highly contested, particularly in Japan. While mainstream scholarship acknowledges the scale of the atrocities, some Japanese nationalists and members of groups like the Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact engage in historical revisionism, disputing the death toll and the extent of the violence. Controversial figures such as politician Shintaro Ishihara and academic Ikuhiko Hata have made statements minimizing the event. These debates are intertwined with issues surrounding Japanese textbooks, visits to the Yasukuni Shrine (which enshrines convicted war criminals), and official apologies from the Government of Japan.

Memorials and remembrance

The primary site of remembrance is the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders, located in Nanjing. The hall contains extensive archives and remains a focal point for official commemorations. Other significant memorials include the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Museum and the John Rabe House. The event is commemorated annually in China on National Memorial Day, December 13. Internationally, remembrance events are held in cities with large diaspora communities, and the subject is frequently addressed in global institutions like the United Nations.

Category:Second Sino-Japanese War Category:Massacres in 1937 Category:War crimes in Asia