Nanking Massacre Summary

Content When the subject of atrocities of World War 2 is brought up, many individuals tend to automatically assume that the abominations to be discussed include Hitler’s mass extermination of Jews, the horrid bombing of Pearl Harbour, and the repugnant atomic blasts that occurred in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is infrequent that someone brings up the topic of the Nanking Massacre, one of the worst known massacres to have ever taken place. With an estimated death toll between 260,000 to 350,000, author Iris Chang believes that the victims of the Nanking Massacre have perished in anguish and despair, with little or no recognition or sympathy displayed by the Western World today. Chang’s thesis is that not enough of the world population is knowledgeable

The ultimate goal of Chang in producing this novel was not to blame the Japanese people, but rather to tell the story of the massacre so that the atrocities that occurred will be unable to disappear into history.

In order for Chang to further develop her thesis, explaining the massacre in gruesome detail was a necessity, as it would accentuate this unremembered piece of the past. The believed factors that fueled the Japanese soldiers to commit such monstrosities against the Chinese include the actions of resistance carried out by the Chinese army during Japan’s conquest to rule the entirety of Asia, the education system in Japan, and the unchecked Japanese government. After months of grueling, strenuous battle between the Japanese and the Chinese for complete control over Shanghai, the Japanese claimed victory of the city on November of 1937. Now advancing rapidly towards the

After the Japanese surrendered, the Rape of Nanking was dismissed from textbooks and educational systems globally, hence why there is such a miniscule amount of details on the topic today. Several reasons behind this mysterious disappearance include Japanese propaganda, the refusal of Japan to admit to the monstrosities committed in Nanking, and the threats of Japanese violence. To make matters worse, those who were truly responsible for the crimes of the massacre were never brought to trial. Emperor Hirohito of Japan, as well as his family, were granted immunity in exchange for the condition of surrendering. Chang believes that not only should the Japanese government admit to allowing the genocide of the Chinese population, but they should undergo penalties as a result of their actions as