The Nanjing Massacre or the Rape of Nanjing was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Imperial Japanese troops. The massacre occurred over a period of six weeks starting on December 13, 1937. In 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo estimated that over 200,000 Chinese were killed in the massacre. China’s official estimate is more than 300,000 dead based on the evaluation of the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal in 1947.
About Nanjing Massacre in brief
The Nanjing Massacre or the Rape of Nanjing was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Imperial Japanese troops. The massacre occurred over a period of six weeks starting on December 13, 1937, the day that the Japanese captured Nanjing. In 1946, the International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Tokyo estimated that over 200,000 Chinese were killed in the massacre. China’s official estimate is more than 300,000 dead based on the evaluation of the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal in 1947. The death toll has been contested by scholars since the 1980s. The event remains a contentious political issue and an obstacle in Sino-Japanese relations. In Japan, public opinion of the massacre varies but few deny outright that the event occurred. A small but vocal minority in the Japanese government and society have argued that the death toll was military in nature and that no such crimes ever occurred. The controversy surrounding the massacre remains a central issue in Japanese relations with other East Asian nations, such as South Korea. The Government of Japan has admitted to the killing of many non-combatants, looting and other violence committed by the Imperial Japanese Army after the fall of Nan Jing. The Japanese veterans who served there have confirmed that a massacre took place. The Chinese government has been accused of exaggerating aspects of the Massacre by many Japanese; historical negationists and Japanese nationalists go as far as claiming the massacre was fabricated for propaganda purposes. The Japanese army invaded Shanghai where they met strong resistance and suffered heavy casualties.
The battle was bloody as both sides faced attrition in urban hand-to-hand combat. By mid-November the Japanese had captured Shanghai with the help of naval and bombardment. The General Staff Headquarters in Tokyo initially decided not to expand the war due to the high casualties incurred and the low morale of the troops. Nevertheless, on December 1, headquarters ordered the Central China Area Army and the 10th Army to capture Nanjing, then the capital of the Republic of China. After losing the Battle of Shanghai, Chiang Kai-shek knew that the fall was a matter of time. He and his staff realized that they could not risk the annihilation of their elite troops in a symbolic but hopeless defense of the capital. To preserve the army for future battles, most of it was withdrawn. Chiang’s strategy was to follow the suggestion of his German advisers to draw the Japanese army deep into China and use China’s vast territory as a defensive strength. In a press release to foreign reporters, Tang Shengzhi announced the city would not surrender and would fight to the death. Tang gathered about 100,000 soldiers, largely untrained, including Chinese troops who had participated in the battle of Shanghai. On December 7, the Chinese government left for relocation and the president left on December 7. The president left, leaving the fate of Nanjiang to an International Committee led by John Rabe, a German national. Rabe was living in Nanjing and had been acting as the Chairman of the Nanking International Safety Zone Committee. He asked for a three-day ceasefire so that the Chinese withdraw from the city.
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This page is based on the article Nanjing Massacre published in Wikipedia (as of Dec. 05, 2020) and was automatically summarized using artificial intelligence.
