Following the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines
While few around the world are ignorant to the atrocities of World War II, not many are aware of the atrocities perpetrated in Nanking, China. Aside from the actions in Pearl Harbor, and the consequential dropping of two atomic bombs, little is mentioned in the United States or the rest of the world about the rape of Nanking. The invasion of China’s capitol, taking place in the final months of 1937, is largely agreed upon by most sources as a normal product of war. Many innocent civilians lost their lives; courageous men and women went beyond the call of duty to protect and serve those who needed it most. Children were orphaned. Parents lost children to the war effort. A country lost soldiers and decent men learned their leaders were not as steadfast as they believed. What set the events in Nanking apart from the rest of World War II is that the voices of the citizens were never fully heard. A holocaust occurred in Nanking that many are unaware of, even now. The Japanese war effort progressed so quickly, much of the substantial historical evidence, apart from pictures, is lost. The events, however, have proved to spark political friction between Japan, China, and the United States, perhaps because immediate action was not taken.
The term “Rape of Nanking” can be misleading, though many women were raped after the Japanese invaded the capitol in November of 1937. According to, “Remembrance of Things Past: Cultural Trauma, the “NanKing Massacre" and Cultural Identity,” the rape refers to the holocaust perpetrated on the people of Nanking. It is best known as a six week long invasion and occupation of Nanking by Japanese forces wherein citizens were slaughtered, women and children were raped, homes were burned, and chaos reigned supreme . When Japanese forces infiltrated Nanking, in hopes of gaining a stronghold and eventually taking all of China for the war effort, they were given orders to liquidate the city. Much like Hitler was attempting to execute toward the Jewish community, Japanese forces fired upon Chinese civilians in Nanking, whether they were fleeing or fighting. They also took prisoners of war in further efforts to gain control of the city, slowly murdering soldiers to set examples, but also to control the population . The events that immediately led to the seige upon Nanking were simple. War had broken out in Asia four years before an attack on Pearl Harbor was launched; the Japanese desired China. They took Shanghai as a stepping stone to Nanking . Fearing the worst, most Americans fled once Shanghai was taken, leaving Nanking to fend for itself, but also leaving the door open for future political blunders. A handful of westerners stayed behind in an effort to help the Nanking effort, but the city was eventually overtaken by air raids and ground forces, as stated in, “Documents on the Rape of Nanking .”
Once ground forces had invaded Nanking, it is difficult to know exactly what happened between each side for several reasons. For example, “The Nanking Massacre: Analysis of Japanese and Chinese Interpretation and Remembrance of Nanking 1940s-The Present,” admits the war effort eliminated most forms of outgoing and incoming communication . Nanking residents, as well as the occupying Japanese forces had no telephone, television, or radio to utilize for information. They had no way of knowing what was going on in the outside world, nor did they have any way of conveying what was happening to them with any urgent immediacy. All they had were letters and diaries, collected in several novels, like the one compiled by Timothy Brook . Brook is quick to estimate that while letters, diaries, and other documents are of great historical value, they may not be entirely accurate. Japanese soldiers, as well as Nanking residents and western servicepeople may have been biased at the time of documentation. They were also not historians, and in a time of war, emotions were running high. For example, the majority of diary entries published by Nanking residents refer to the Japanese as “devils” or “the enemy . It may be problematic to use sources such as these because they may be inaccurate due to these biases.
The lack of accurate, factual historical information could be why the rape of Nanking has been kept so quiet in the past fifty years. The most reliable sources of historical documentation or the photographs westerners were able to take and eventually smuggle out of the country . However, a more likely reason that Nanking’s demise has been kept largely a secret is because it is only propgandized in China. When communication was eliminated as Japanese forces invaded Nanking, the outside world had no way of knowing what was going on in the city. Shortly after Nanking, the Jewish Holocaust was the center of everyone’s attention. When World War II is mentioned or documented, the occupation of Germany and other parts of Europe are still primarily the only information anybody hears. Any mention of Asia involves Japan bombing Pearl Harbor and America’s subsequent atomic bomb attack. Nevertheless, every December on the anniversary, China begins airing propoganda used to remind citizens of the Nanking atrocities, almost as if to take away from the horror and use the atrocity as a tool to further divide Japan and China.
Since the unfortunate events in Nanking, Japan and China have managed to silence the pitfall that was the rape, and become trade partners, according to, “The Tokyo Judgment and the Rape of Nanking . Though many exchanges of goods and cultural practices have been made between the countries since the holocaust, many Chinese citizens still harbor hatred toward the Japanese for their war crimes, a hatred only strengthened by the belief that Japan will not apologize for their actions . For example, the Yasukuni Shrine exists to honor fallen Japanese soldiers during World War II and has been visited by many Japanese leaders, as they honor those who gave their lives for Japan. The memorial also honors those involved in the Nanking rape, however, the museum neighboring the shrine denies that any such atrocity took place. No Japanese prime minister has amended the mistake, deepening the wound still felt by many Chinese citizens . According to, “The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II,” in 2006, Junichiro Koizumi, prime minister of Japan visited the shrine despite being warned not to by China .
The events in Nanking served as a pivotal moment that shaped the identity of Japan, China, and the United States. However, it also shaped how the three countries would relate to one another in future years. In Japan, lessons about Nanking are used to cultivate ideas of pride and honor, as well as a national identity. Brooks professes that Japan does in fact apologize for the crimes against Nanking, but that the war itself was justified based on the defense and saving Asia from the tyranny of the west . While many Chinese citizens do not believe Japan admits its war crimes, many Japanese citizens admit to their troops wrongdoings during the rape of Nanking. It is true that many Japanese officials have publically denied the massacre took place, though the majority of Japan believe the atomic bombings are more superior events that were used to their political advantage later . Finally, on August 15, 1995, Tomiichi Murayama, gave a clear, formal apology for Japan’s actions during the war, offering his condolences to survivors. The emperor also apologized . Iris Chang later criticized the prime minister for not providing a clearer, “written” apology, has had been promised, stating that the people of China rejected the apology as insincere .
Since the apology, Japan has not issued a second, written apology to amend the first. There could be many reasons for doing so, though the most likely is to maintain the illusion of power, as well as respect. Currently, Japan and China are trade partners, entering into a lucrative contract earning upwards of $250 billion each year . The Japanese prime minister and emperor of 1995 apologized, and the Chinese people rejected the apology. To bend to the will of their trade partners might signify a loss of power, not only as a population, but also as a partner. The Japanese people have openly confessed they were wrong in their actions and to do any more may feel like a sign of weakness in a place of business. Succumbing to China’s demands may also feel like a sign of weakness to the rest of the world; when enduring the global trade market, Japan may feel like it is a bad business move to issue another apology if they feel their first was sincere.
In sum, while many events in Nanking could be considered “normal” for a time of war, it does not mean it was decent. A holocaust took place. Women and children were raped in the street. For six weeks, Japanese forces held an entire city hostage, slowly murdering soldiers, mothers, husbands, children, the sick, and those trying to help. While Japan acknowledges the actions and has issued an apology, a war memorial neighboring a shrine to honor fallen Japanese soldiers during WWII firmly denies the massacre ever took place. There is little official historical evidence to shape the events of Nanking, but the event played such a pivotal role in the shaping of the involved countries; it is time to break the silence, if only to show the dead respect.
References
Alexander, J. C., & Gao, R. (2006). Remembrance of Things Past: Cultural Trauma, the “NanKing Massacre" and Cultural Identity. New Haven: Yale University.
Brook, T. (1999). Documents on the Rape of Nanking. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Brook, T. (2001). The Tokyo Judgment and the Rape of Nanking. The Journal of Asian Studies, 673-700.
Chang, I. (2012). The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II. Boston: Basic Books.
Evans, G. (2013). The Nanking Atrocity: Still and Moving Images 1937–1944. Media and Communication, 48-59.
Gordon, J. (2014). The Nanking Massacre: Analysis of Japanese and Chinese Interpretation and Remembrance of Nanking 1940s-The Present. University of Wisconsin.
Zong, Y. (2014). A Humanitarian Success: Westerners' Protection of Chinese Refugees in the Rape of Nanking, 1937-38. Columbus: Ohio State University Press.
