Nanjing Massacre
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The Nanjing Massacre or the Rape of Nanjing (formerly romanized as Nanking) was the mass murder of Chinese civilians in Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China, immediately after the Battle of Nanjing in the Second Sino-Japanese War, by the Imperial Japanese Army. Beginning on December 13, 1937, the massacre lasted for six weeks. The perpetrators also committed other atrocities such as mass rape, looting and arson. This is the most recent mass-scale war crime in Nanjing since the 1864 Battle of Nanjing.
Quotes[edit]
- In China, the number of people still alive who survived the 1937 Nanjing Massacre at the hands of Japanese invaders has fallen to minuscule levels – some experts put the number around 80.
- Beneath the plane of political memory, the history of the war, of which the Nanjing Massacre is one small part, raises other questions that are pertinent to the present day. There is the issue of why the Japanese army behaved with such apparent barbarism in seizing places like Nanjing and thereafter defending its occupation against Nationalist and Communist insurgencies.
- Richard C. Bush, "Thoughts on the Nanjing Massacre" in Brookings (1 December 2007)
- How many thousands were mowed down by guns or bayoneted we shall probably never know. For in many cases oil was thrown over their bodies and then they were burned. Charred bodies tell the tales of some of these tragedies. The events of the following ten days are growing dim. But there are certain of them that lifetime will not erase from my memory and the memories of those who have been in Nanjing through this period.
- Diary entry of missionary Minnie Vautrin during the massacre.
- "Scarred by history: The Rape of Nanjing" in BBC (11 April 2005)
- Anyone who tries to deny the massacre will not be allowed by history, the souls of the 300,000 deceased victims, 1.3 billion Chinese people and all people loving peace and justice in the world.
- At that time, my cousin was only eighteen-years-old. He was taken away by the Japanese troops and never returned. I personally watched as the Japanese troops massacred many people. We had a neighbor, elderly Ms. Zhen, who was about eighty-years-old. She thought that because she was old, she could remain at home and be fine. In actuality, she was brutally murdered by the Japanese, with her stomach slashed open. There was also a tea specialist, who couldn’t bear leaving his home. He was also murdered by the Japanese.
- Wen Sunshi, survivor of the massacre
- ""I Will Never Forget": Voices of Survivors" in Facing History
- Thus, the instant the Japanese soldiers opened fire on us all, I immediately fell toward the ground, faking my death. Struck by the flying bullets, my Chinese comrades all piled up on my body. Right up till it got dark and the Japanese soldiers had all left, I lay under the dead bodies, not daring to move. Only then did I climb out from under the pile of bodies. It was thus how I became a fortunate survivor of the Nanjing massacre.
- Chen Jiashou, survivor of the massacre
- ""I Will Never Forget": Voices of Survivors" in Facing History
- Nothing prepared me for these pictures - stark black-and-white images of decapitated heads, bellies ripped open and nude women forced by their rapist into various pornographic poses, their faces contorted into unforgettable expressions of agony and shame.
- Iris Chang, describing first time she saw images regarding the massacre.
- "Iris Chang: A light in the darkness" in China Daily (14 December 2015)
- If there is no name or ID number, the 300,000 figure could just be a summary of Chinese historical fiction. The history could be a folk tale if there are no supporting historical materials, which is a reflection of the lack of academic rigor in China.
- A Chinese teacher name Song, who was later fired from her position after a video of her making the comment was made public.
- "Teacher Fired for Contesting Nanjing Massacre Death Toll in Class" in Sixth Tone (17 December 2021)
- China in 2014 designated December 13 as a day of national mourning over the incident. It has held memorial services to boost patriotism among the Chinese people and highlight Japan’s role as a perpetrator.
- "China tones down Japan criticism on Nanjing anniversary" in The Japan Times (13 December 2018)
- In Japan, the Nanjing Massacre harms feelings important to national identity – “pride, honor and shame.”
- Alan Carrow, "Cold Case of Nanjing Tragedy" in The Geopolitics (10 December 2021)
External links[edit]
Encyclopedic article on Nanjing Massacre on Wikipedia
Media related to Nanjing Massacre on Wikimedia Commons