The Nanjing Massacre During WW2

Hello. Thank you for opening this page.

This page is written and maintained entirely by myself, for my personal sharing purpose only. The sole purpose of this page is to introduce the Nanjing Massacre outside Chinese-speaking communities. May we remember the history and the world be free of slaughters.

What is the Nanjing Massacre?

The Nanjing Massacre was a brutal slaughter of Chinese cilivians in 1937 by the Imperial Japanese Army in the city of Nanjing, then the capital of China. Japan invaded China in 1931, and in December 1937, the Japanese Army occupied Nanjing city. The Massacre started on December 13 and lasted for six weeks. Mass murder and mass rape were commited, and about 300,000 people were tortured to death. In some literature, the incident is referred to as “the Rape of Nanking”, Nanking being the former English spelling of the city name.

The incident took place in 1937, but I used “during WW2” in the title, which may cause controversy since it’s widely known that WW2 started in 1939 and ended in 1945. Here’s my brief explanation: The war in which the Nanjing Massacre took place did not end until September 2, 1945, when Japan surrendered unconditionally and WW2 came to an end. More importantly, at the same time Japan invaded not only China but several countries. Therefore I think it is legitimately part of World War 2. I honestly don’t see any reason why not.

Remembrance

Chinese people take the Nanjing Massacre very seriously. It matters to us just like 9/11 attacks matter to Americans. December 13 is the Nanjing Massacre National Memorial Day. The city of Nanjing rings sirens, and memorial activities take place across the country.

Many lost their lives. We will remember them.

We remind ourselves that the peace we have today should not be taken for granted. And we deliver the message that none has a right to invade, and that none should ever suffer from such inhumane violence.

We will also remember John Rabe, a businessman from Germany, who helped to establish the Nanking Safety Zone, which sheltered approximately 200,000 Chinese people from slaughter during the Massacre.

Do I Hate Japan? No.

Very certainly no. I know Japan very well, I have been there, I have friends living in Japan, and I admire Japan for many of its achievements. I sincerely wish China and Japan be in good relation. But I will never forget what the Japanese Army did in 1937.

More Info

If you want to know more, please Google it. There is plenty of reliable information regarding this incident in academia and in general public.

I recommend this 13-minute WW2 video (YouTube link) from Crash Course. It is not specifically about the Nanjing Massacre, but it devotes a considerable part to WW2 outside Europe and presents a very global view of this World War. The Nanjing Massacre is mentioned at 1:33 as the Rape of Nanking.

Thank you for reading.