Nanjing massacre, conventional nanking massacre, also called rape of nanjing, december 1937january 1938, mass killing and ravaging of chinese citizens and capitulated soldiers by soldiers of the japanese imperial army after its seizure of nanjing, china, on december, 1937, during the sinojapanese war that preceded world war ii. On december, 1937, the japanese army captured the city of nanjing, then the capital of wartime china. The history of the rape of nanking a wwii atrocity. The nanjing massacre in history and historiography volume 2 of asia columbia university. The japanese entry into the city, accompanied by widespread killing and brutality, became known as the rape of nanking. On december, 1937, the japanese army captured the city of nanjing, then. Nanjing massacre simple english wikipedia, the free. The first two are published in a collected volume distributed at the nanjing massacre memorial hall in china, and the third is transcribed from the usc shoah visual history archive of oral testimonies. The nanking massacre took place over a period of six weeks in 1937, when the imperial japanese army brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of peopleincluding both soldiers and civiliansin. It was part of the second sinojapanese war, which was the part of world war ii between china and japan. Dont cry, nanking aka nanjing 1937 1995 directed by wu ziniu is a historical fiction centering on a chinese doctor, his japanese wife, and their children, as they experience the siege, fall, and massacre of nanking. It was known at the time as the nanking massacre or the rape of nanking. History textbooks in japan mention the incident only in a single footnote, if at all. This historiography is disparate and sometimes contested, owing to conflicting currents of chinese and japanese nationalist sentiment and national interest, as well as the fog of war.
Following the outbreak of the second sino japanese war, the japanese imperial army marched from shanghai to the chinese capital city of nanking, and though a large number of chinese pows and civilians were slaughtered by the japanese following their entrance into nanking on. Pdf the nanjing massacre in history and historiography. This development was an important precursor to the inclusion of similar views in graphic depictions of the nanking massacre in history for young japanese, which became common from the 1970s. The nanjing massacre was a massacre an unjust killing of many people that happened in nanjing, china, in december of 1937 and january of 1938. The role of massacre in history has been given little focused attention either by historians or academics in related fields. The nanking massacre or nanjing massacre, also known as the rape of nanking, was a mass murder and war rape that occurred during the sixweek period following the japanese capture of the city of nanking nanjing, the former capital of the republic of china, on december, 1937 during the second sino japanese war. February 2, 2017 a controversial book denying the nanjing massacre casts a shadow over the asian winter games by nikki griffiths. In late 1937, over a period of six weeks, imperial japanese army forces brutally murdered hundreds of thousands of peopleincluding both soldiers and civiliansin the chinese city of nanking or nanjing. For instance, more than a month after the city fell, miner searle bates, a professor of history at the university of nanking and a member of the international committee for the nanking safety zone, wrote on january 25, 1938, close to forty thousand unarmed persons were killed within and near the walls of nanking, of whom some 30 percent had never been soldiers. This book the alleged nanking massacre is different from others from the viewpoint of its approach. Nanking and the dissenting opinion of radhabinod pal.
According to the international military tribunal, during the ensuing massacre 20,000 chinese men of military age were killed and approximately 20,000 cases of rape occurred. China rewrites history books to extend sinojapanese war. The nanjing massacre is also known as the rape of nanjing. All textbooks use the words nanjing incident, nanjing massacre, or. An undeniable history in photographs, which princeton university professor of history, yu yingshih, refers to as a major work on modern chinese history. This book the allegednanking massacre is different from others from the viewpoint of its approach. The nanjing massacre is remembered as one of the darkest events of the last century. Controversy and confusion over the nanjing massacre occurred even soon after, in 1943 george orwell wrote in looking back on the spanish war. The nanking massacre 1995, by chinese director mou tunfei, recreates the events of the nanking massacre.
Yang has recently coauthored a book titled the nanjing massacre in history and historiography. The rape of nanjing was one of the worst atrocities committed during world war ii. The rape of nanking by iris chang is a shocking book, containing details of the most horrific atrocities imaginable, committed by the japanese army during a short period in 193738 after they captured the chinese capital nanking. Indeed, even the phrase nanjing massacre hereafter nm remains. In the next six weeks, the japanese committed the infamous nanking massacre, or the rape of nanking, during which an estimated 300,000 chinese soldiers and civilians were killed, and 20,000 women were raped. The nanking massacre of december 1937 and japanese policy in china. The nanjing massacre in some japanese history textbooks ring in japan is not only the season of cherry blossoms but also the eriod during which, as caroline roses casestudy has showed see er interpreting history in sinojapanese relations, 1998,history textbooks controversies often arise between japan, on one side, and china.
Japanese history textbook controversies involve controversial content in one of the. This is an archive for the historical documents and still photography related to the the nanjing massacre, and other atrocities committed by japanese army in china during ww ii. What history textbooks leave out facing history and ourselves. The port of nanking on the yangtze river was once the largest port in china for foreign trade.
But just as athletes should be arriving, a dark slice of history has reared its ugly head. Tokushi kasahara identifies three time periods in postwar japan during which he asserts the japanese government has waged critical challenges to history textbooks in attempts to tone down or delete descriptions of japans wartime aggression, especially atrocities such as the nanjing massacre. The japanese occupation of nanking, the capital of the republic of china, lead to one of the greatest horrors of the century. On th december 1937, japanese troops captured the chinese city of nanjing also known, before the advent of pinyin, as nanking, with soldiers of the imperial japanese army murdering and raping tenseven hundredsof thousands of chinese civilians. During this period hundreds of thousands of chinese civilians and. The nanjing massacre in history and historiography asia. This is an archive for the historical documents and still photography related to the the nanjing massacre, and other atrocities committed by japanese army in china. Historiography of the nanking massacre military wiki fandom. The nanjing massacre as recorded in american sources. The japanese army reached nanjing on december 1937 and.
For these nations, the question of how to treat the legacy of nanjingwhether to deplore it, sanitize it, rationalize it, or even ignore ithas aroused. At the time, japan was trying to take over china and nanjing was the chinese capital. The historiography of the nanjing massacre is the representation of the events of the nanjing massacre as history, in various languages and cultural contexts, in the years since these events took place. The total death toll of the nanjing massacre is a highly contentious subject in chinese and japanese historiography. The historiography of the nanking massacre is the representation of the events of the nanking massacre as history, in various languages and cultural contexts, in the years since these events took place. Japanese history textbooks can literally be written by anyone and are mostl. Indeed, some japanese public officials have denied that the nanking massacre ever happened, or significantly downplay its scope and severity. Throughout the testimonies some survivors refer to the events from december, 1937, through the end of march 1938 as the massacre. This study examines the 1937 nanking massacre and the atrocities, it focuses on how the events that took place in nanking have affected the way history in japan and china is written. However, the nanjing massacre was never emphasized in the japanese history textbooks. Works by the japanese documenting the nanking massacre climaxed with the appearance of katsuichi hondas series of articles, the journey to china, published in asahi simbun nov. The nanjing massacre in history and historiography.
To understand why or how the nanking massacre happened we must first understand the history between china and japan. Aug 23, 2017 its a pretty interesting case, that of the textbooks that are often said to be used to hide to japanese youth about the nonexistence of japanese war crimes during ww2. Local studies global themes volume 2 of global studies. Japan ordered history books to change passages on forced suicides during world war ii. Local studies global themes the rape of nanjing was one of the worst atrocities committed during world war ii. China rewrites history books to extend sinojapanese war by six years.
But now they are simply trying to erase things like the nanjing massacre and the comfort women from history books, he told dw. Japanese history book showing footnote about rape of nanking. The major waves of japanese treatment of this dark historical tragedy ranged from total coverup during the war, confessions and documentation by. The forgotten holocaust of world war ii is a bestselling 1997 nonfiction book written by iris chang about the 19371938 nanking massacre, the massacre and atrocities committed by the imperial japanese army after it captured nanjing, then capital of china, during the second sinojapanese war. The major waves of japanese treatment of this dark historical tragedy ranged from total coverup during the war, confessions and documentation by the japanese soldiers during the 1950s and 60s, denial of the extent of the nanking massacre during the 70s and 80s, official distortion and rewriting of history during the 80s, and. See more ideas about nanking massacre, world war and history. This years asian winter games are due to commence on 19th february in sapporo, japan, featuring participants from thirtyone countries and regions. When i was teaching in the us in the 1980s, i found that many college students were only vaguely aware of the vietnam war even though it had ended only a decade earlier. Nanjing massacre upsets and stuns me every time when i think of it. East asian institute volume 2 of asialocal studiesglobal themes, issn 15557812 volume 2 of asia.
This eyewitness report was filed by a new york times reporter. Nanking is known for its historically rich culture and industries. The teaching of japans war history, specifically the story of the nanjing. Moreover, the fact of the japanese government which distorted history and referred to the 193738 nanjing massacre an estimated 250,000 to 300,000 people were killed by the innocuous title of incident is absolutely outrageous. This essay will shed light upon the effects of the nanking massacre in japanese and chinese historiography of the event by examining the various historiographies. This is surprising as its prevalence and persistence surely demands that it should be a subject of serious and systematic exploration. Do japanese academic history books talk about the atrocities. Historians who define the nanjing massacre as having started from the time that the japanese army entered jiangsu province push the beginning of the massacre to around midnovember to early december suzhou fell on november 19, and stretch the end of the massacre to late march 1938. During this period, hundreds of thousands of chinese civilians and disarmed. Gruesome facts about the nanking massacre you may not be. This text is part of the internet modern history sourcebook. Recently i noticed that the very people who swallowed any and every horror story about the japanese in nanking in 1937 refused to believe exactly the same stories about hong kong in 1942. These atrocities continue to color sinojapanese relations to this day. In the mere six weeks during which the japanese perpetrated the nanking massacre starting on dec.
In june 2007, the okinawa prefectural assembly officially asked the ministry of education of japan to retract its instruction to downplay the militarys role in mass suicide in okinawa in 1945. This book treats the socalled nanking massacre as a murder case and examine whether the crimes, which was said to have been committed by the japanese army during the six weeks starting from december, 1937, had been proved or not. The japanese established 1938 their puppet regime in nanjing. In the making of the rape of nanking takashi yoshida examines how views of the nanjing massacre have evolved in history writing and public memory in japan, china, and the united states. In japan, there are eight history textbooks that are used today in junior high schools. The making of the rape of nanking by yoshida, takashi. The nanjing massacre in history and historiography volume 2 asia. The latest edition of a history text book used in more than 50 junior high schools across japan makes no mention of the over 300,000 deaths in the nanjing massacre of 1937, skips allegations that as many as 400,000 girls and women were pressganged into serving as prostitutes for the japanese military during world war ii and hints that the 1941. There were approximately 90,000 troops stationed in nanking at the time of the massacre, and why the chinese chose to surrender to a much smaller army in merely four days on the 12th of december, 1937 had always been a mystery, until iris chang wrote her book, the rape of nanking 3.
Some secondary sources include articles related to the nanking massacre and japanese education ministry such as isolating knowledge of the unpleasant. The making of the rape of nanking by yoshida, takashi ebook. List of books and articles about nanjing massacre online. The nanking massacre or nanjing massacre, also known as the rape of nanking, was a mass murder, genocide and war rape that occurred during the sixweek period following the japanese capture of the city of nanjing nanking, the former capital of the republic of china, on december, 1937 during the second sinojapanese war. The horrific events are known as the nanking massacre or the rape of nanking, as between 20,000 and 80,000 women were sexually assaulted. Japans nationalist school books teach a different view of history dw. Dispute over scale of atrocity remains a sticking point in chinesejapanese relations some japanese question whether a massacre took place. The massacre in history berghahn series volume 1 of studies on war and genocide volume 1 of war and genocide volume 1 of war of extermination, issn 71812326.
Historiography of the nanking massacre military wiki. The rape of nanking, published in 1997, chronicled the nanking massacre 193738 and the atrocities committed during it by the imperial japanese army during the war of resistance against japanese. The inspection is conducted facts based on the japanese official documents are included. The rape of nanking in japanese high school textbooks, the nanjing massacre.
Here are some books to help further learning about the massacre. The japanese troops carried out mass executions, raped thousands of women, plundered, and burned down houses, public property, and. These atrocities continue to color sino japanese relations to this day. The 1960s were the first decade that saw significant perspectives on the massacre appear in bestselling works of popular history. The infamous nanjing massacre of 1937, in which the japanese imperial army raped and slaughtered countless chinese citizens on the eve of world war ii, has been described in wellpublicized books from various chinese, japanese and german perspectives. A controversial book denying the nanjing massacre casts a. Fluent in the three languages that are crucial to examine historical evidence of the nanking atrocities, namely chinese, japanese and english, he has published papers on this topic in china, japan and the united states. Works by the japanese documenting the nanjing massacre climaxed with the appearance of katsuichi hondas series of articles, the journey to china, published in asahi simbun nov.
Is there a cultural, as well as political framework within which it occurs. Nobukatsu fujioka is one of them and the author of one of the books that i. Chinese, japanese, and united states views of the nanking. Mar 14, 20 dispute over scale of atrocity remains a sticking point in chinese japanese relations some japanese question whether a massacre took place. Following the outbreak of the second sinojapanese war, the japanese imperial army marched from shanghai to the chinese capital city of nanking, and though a large number of chinese pows and civilians were slaughtered by the japanese following their entrance into nanking on. However, the nanking massacre was never emphasized in the japanese history textbooks. Its a pretty interesting case, that of the textbooks that are often said to be used to hide to japanese youth about the nonexistence of japanese war crimes during ww2. The nanking massacre, 1937 the japanese occupation of nanking, the capital of the republic of china, lead to one of the greatest horrors of the century. On december, 1937, the japanese army captured the city of nanjing. From 1937 to now 1990, the japanese militarists, the government, and the public dealt with the undeniable atrocities committed by the japanese troops in nanking and the rest of asia in a number of ways. They sometimes went doortodoor, dragging out women and even small children and violently gangraping them. The most recent of the controversial textbooks, the new history textbook. During the nanjing massacre, american figures who remained in nanjing, or who took an interest in nanjings plight despite not being present in the city, produced copious reports, observations, records, and analyses with respect to the events that unfolded, forming highly unique thirdparty sources on the history of the nanjing massacre, and disseminated them across china, europe, and the.
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