The Rape of Nanking Effects and Consequences in China - Rape of Nanking

The Rape of Nanking Effects and Consequences in China

"Rape Of Nanking"

The Rape of Nanking, other wise known as the Nanking Massacre, is one of the greatest (or worst) war crimes in history. It is arguable whether or not the Japanese soldiers went crazy during the war, but whatever the cause, the event was horrifying.

In 1928, China was at war with Japan. In November, Japanese troops conquered Shanghai and then continued to take over the capital at that time: Nanking. Nanking had the population of about one million people. Originally, there were only three hundred thousand people, but the city was overrun with refugees who were trying to escape the war. Unfortunately, they were heading in the wrong direction.

As the Japanese were on their way to Nanking, the Chinese became desperate and they began their Ð"¬Scorched - Earth Policy,Ð"® This was a moronic attempt to delay the Japanese from entering the city and to stop the Ð"¬conquerorsÐ"® from getting anything useful. The troops burned everything all around the city from trees to mansion, burning down entire villages. Even inside the city, they burned edifices such as the Ministry of Communication, the most ornate edifice of the city, which was burned on Dec. 12; two days after the siege began.

On Dec. 10, Japanese troops began to bomb the city of about four bombs per minute. Archibald Steele and four others were the only foreign journalists to have witnessed the beginning of the massacre. General Tang Sheng-chi, the defense commander said, on that day, that the he would defend Nanking Ð"¬to the bitter endÐ"®: a lie. Two days later, Sheng-chi ordered his men to retreat at 5 pm. Chinese soldiers looted and disguised themselves as civilians. Thousands of soldiers and civilians started to run towards Xiaguan riverfront, the only way out of the city. The Chinese Army fired the people running to the wharf. And worse still, there were only a few boats to carry people across. Some people tried to swim, but they drowned.

On Dec. 13, the Japanese entered the city through the Zhongshan Gate and made a ceremonial entrance. Chinese felt relief with their entrance, because they believed that the Japanese wouldnÐ"­t be as bad as what the Chinese Army was doing to them. On the contrary, the Japanese were mortiferous.