The Nanking Massacre

The Nanking Massacre

Evaluate and discuss the significance of the Nanking Massacre atrocity.

During World War II there were many atrocities committed that eventuated in the casualties of millions of innocent people, it’s also apparent that there were many atrocities and that Nanking was one of the most gruesome, not just in East Asia, but the whole world. The concentration camp in Auschwitz resulted in the deaths of over 1.1 million Jews whereas the Nanking Massacre was only a fraction of that, 300,000. But what sets apart the Nanking Massacre from Auschwitz is the way it was conducted. Westerners that were in Nanking at the time as aid described it as “hell on earth” . Making it one of the most significant atrocities in World War II

On the December of 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), after finally overcoming the Chinese at Shanghai in November, 50,000 Japanese soldiers moved on Nanking and launched their attack on Nanking that lasted 6 weeks. The Chinese soldiers stationed at Nanking were poorly trained and did not have the necessary organisation to withstand against the might of the IJA. After 4 days of hopeless fighting the Chinese surrender, but the IJA had a ‘Three All’s Policy’ which was kill all, loot all, destroy all; which meant for the 90,000 Chinese soldiers surrendering was pointless, especially since forfeiting is considered one of the most dishonourable acts in Japanese culture. IJA soldiers were encouraged by their superiors to practice grotesque forms of punishment on the prisoners of war (POW’s) such as mutilation, target practice, bayonet practice and even burning them alive all in order to toughen the soldiers up. The IJA soldiers than continue to slaughter over 300,...

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