The Nanking Massacre

After taking control of Shanghai, Japanese forces made its way to the city of Nanking. On December 11, 1937 the Japanese army launched its attack on the city and by December 13th they entered the city and began a reign of terror on its citizens and soldiers. Reports estimate that some 300,000 Chinese were killed and about 20,000 female Chinese were raped by Japanese soldiers. The atrocities performed by the Japanese on the Chinese living in Nanking range from looting, burning, mass executions, and rape.  Even today many Japanese people say the incidents of Nanking are completely false or overly exaggerated. However, many stories and testimonies from the Chinese victims and even some Japanese soldiers says otherwise.

One Japanese soldier reports of mass killings on December 13th. On the day the Japanese arrived in Nanking a large number of Chinese refugees were trying to flee across the Yangtze River. Many tried to swim across the river in an effort to escape the intruding Japanese. However, the refugees were cut off by the Japanese army and were then relentlessly fired upon. The Japanese soldier says the next day he estimated that almost 50,000 Chinese were killed during this one particular incident. During the first two days of the Japanese occupation almost a 100,000 Chinese citizens and soldiers were executed on the two major streets of the city. The Japanese forces also rounded up thousands of Chinese soldiers and anyone they suspected of being a soldier and forced them out of the city to be executed. Most were killed by gun fire but many were also stabbed, burned alive, and poison gas was also used. Many of the methods used to kill the citizens of Nanking were of the most brutal and inhuman. Some soldiers would cut open abdomen's of its victims, beat them to death, decapitate, castrate, burn, and torture.

Besides the mass killing of innocent civilians the Japanese soldier performed many harsh and inhuman exercises on its victims. An estimated 20,000 women were raped and killed by the Japanese and they held no age restrictions. They also forced family members to rape each other and were killed if resisted or killed afterwards. The Japanese forces not only victimised Nanking's people but also the city itself. They looted from homes and stores alike stealing almost everything in the city. After robbing the city they burned down many houses and historical buildings until almost nothing was left standing.

I found much of this research from Andreas Viklund's website 1937 Nanking Massacre.