Essay On The Nanjing Massacre

The Nanjing massacre is one of the most devastating events that took place in China during the second Shino-Japanese war. The massacre was a series of war crimes committed by the Japanese soldiers upon taking over the city, Nanjing. The Japanese soldiers raped, murdered, and looted the Chinese citizens that were left abandoned by the Chinese military forces. The figure of the atrocities ranges from 150,000 to 200,000 that is claimed by China and 25,000 to 50,000 people that is claimed by the Japanese. Therefore, this massacre became a weapon, in the figure of nationalism, for China to use against Japan. Never the less, the Nanjing Massacre was a devastating event that claimed the lives of thousands and become a symbol of nationalism. Rana Mitter in China’s war with Japan, chapter 7 “Massacre at Nanking”, discusses the Japanese war crimes in Nanjing. According to Matter, the Japanese went on a spree of murder, rape and robbery for six weeks. Mitter uses various resources such as journals of foreigners, few chinses accounts, and interviews of eyewitnesses to depict the atrocious war crimes of Japanese …show more content…
Minnie Vautrin dairy further claims that when the Japanese brought food the Chinese, instead of rejecting it, they ate it like animals. According to Mitter, there was uncertainty of Chinese nationalism and if people were committed to that type of ideology. The fall of Nanjing was symbolic because the city represented the cultural resonance for all Chinese. The city was known for its architecture and the livid lifestyle of the middle class. It was a symbol of technological and environmental modernity that was desired by the nationalists. Therefore, it was strategic for the Japanese to capture Nanjing because it represented power. Capturing the city was demonstrating victory over Chinese