The Rape of Nanking(aka Nanking Massacre)

By: Tom Graham

Introduction

The Rape of Nanking occurred during the Second World War in a conflict known as the Second Sino-Japanese

War.

By about August of 1937 the Japanese imperial army had suffered a large number of casualties during the

battle of Shanghai. Following the capture of Shanghai the Japanese army marched on Nanking.

March on Nanking

Private diaries of Japanese soliders indicate that during the march civilian Chinese homes were burned, and

civilians were murdered:

"As we advanced, young Chinese men fled. We do not know why they ran away. Anyway, we shot one such person after another since they made themselves suspicious-looking by running away. We set fire to twelve to thirteen houses of a village. Sonn, an entire village was engulfed by fire. I felt pity toward a few old men remaining in the village. But I could not do anything else because it was an order. We burned three villages successively. We also shot five or six men.

We mopped up the villages on our way while we shot to death two straggling soldiers trying to escape in a boat. In other occasion, we burnt down an entire village."

Makihara Diary, 28 Nov. 1937 pp 134-135

Makihara's diary further reports the capture of 12 chinese soliders:

"we shot them to death immediately."

General Iinuma reported in his diary on Sept. 6

"about 600 enemy soliders entrenched in their barraccks surrendured, but we killed them after had observed some hostile acts amoung them."

During the approach to Nanking Japanese soliders encountered plain clothes Chinese soliders. This could have potentially

explained thier quick decision to kill civilians. Furthermore, some of the fires could have been started by Chinese soliders as they

were engaged in a sorched earth campaign.

Fall and Capture of Nanking

Dec. 10 the 16th division of the Japanese army began its final approach into Nanking. Chinese soliders had begun an escape from

the city and the remaining citizens were in a state of confusion and panic.

Attrocties and Contributing Factors

The decision to attack and capture Nanking was a last minute choice, and thus there was little in the way of support for the invading Japanese Army. They lacked many required supplies and were short on both food and water.  Robberies, murder and rape was initially observed following entrance of Japanese soliders into Nanking. This probably contributed to the break down of the soliders level of disipline.

Roughly 60-80,000 Chinese soliders were killed during the encirclement and mopping up operations on Nanking. Following this, the SEF and the 10th Army were charged with job of locating plainclothes and hiding chinese soliders. Mass executions were carried out and the total killed is estimated to be anywhere from 44,000-104,000.

Civilian Murder, Rape

There is great debate as to the number of civilians murder during this event. There are reports of beheadings, and mass executions of cvilians.

Rape of women within the city was also reported to be widespread with numbers ranging from 20K-80K cases.

Estimates of total dead range from 50K to 300K for the entire event. It is believed that the number is probably around 150K.

Following the conflict, the generals responsible were tried and executed along with several other Japanese soliders.

Massacre II

Beheading

Death

Massacre