The Rape of Nanking

For far too long I held off reading this seminal work. I didn't know whether I could stomach the violence and pain. I also thought the book would be much longer. On both counts, I was wrong. Chang expertly manages to convey the murderous brutality of the Japanese soldiers and their commanders in a way that shocks your conscience but doesn't turn your stomach. In its little more than 200 pages of actual text, it is a masterwork of concision that supplies just the right amount of information to follow the chain of events, to present the actors, their victims and, most importantly, the bystanders in situ and abroad.

Chang pays tribute to the heroic efforts of the local expatriates community and reporters, especially the good Nazi John Rabe, show more the intrepid Americans doctor Robert Wilson and school mistress Minnie Vautrin (I recommend the 2009 biopic "John Rabe" with Ulrich Tukur and Steve Buscemi). In contrast to the UN safe area at Srebrenica in 1995, the International Nanking Safety Zone (barely and insufficiently) protected most of the local population which managed to reach it, stay within its borders and evade Japanese intruders. The Japanese level of atrocities and the bestial brutality in their execution is truly shocking.

Still more shocking is the fact that the perpetrators mostly managed to evade justice, while the victims and their helpers did not receive justice and compensation. The Rape of Nanking is but one among a large number of massacres the world chose to look away and not hold the perpetrators accountable for their war crimes. For the over 200.000 deaths, only two people were convicted in the International Military Tribunal for the Far East. Four more were convicted in the Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal (one the convicted was sheltered after the trial by Chiang Kai-Shek!). Chang shows in the Japanese case that "Looking forward, not backward" is a bad strategy in dealing with war crimes (also supported by the lack of accountability caused by the much less vigorous denazification policies in Austria compared to Germany). Amazingly, Japan never paid any war reparations to both Chinas.

A must read. show less

This was one book that I had avoided reading for as long as I’ve known of its existence – having small amounts of personal history intertwined in its contents. Alas, the time has arrived, and the book does not disappoint.

I do thank Iris Chang (and probably her editor) in the thoughtful and careful layout of book. By first providing selected Japanese cultural history, this book unfolded in a logical flow: addressing the events chronologically, providing viewpoints on motives, describing the key players – before, during, and after whenever possible, and denoting the history that was known or not known by the world and challenged by various countries’ government. While I have known selected details, the atrocities still proved to show more be horrifying, the courage uplifting, and the denial despicable.

I won’t attempt to simplify the amazing details in the book nor will I repeat the gruesome killings, tortures, rapes of women, and experimental ‘medical’ research. Instead, I’ll note other areas:

From Oxford historian Rana Mitter – a bit on ‘why’:
“There was a deep ambivalence in Japanese society about China. It was not all racist contempt, as it was for the Koreans: on the one hand, they recognized China as a source of culture that they had drawn on heavily; on the other, they were exasperated by the mess that China was in by the early twentieth century.”

The order to eliminate all Chinese captives:
“There was a ruthless logic to the order. The captives could not be fed, so they had to be destroyed. Killing them would not only eliminate the food problem but diminish the possibility of retaliation. Moreover, dead enemies could not form up into guerrilla forces.”

Many who were never punished – wtf! (Can I say that in a book review?):
“Unlike their Nazi counterparts, who have mostly perished in prisons and before execution squads or, if alive, are spending their remaining days as fugitives from the law, many of the Japanese war criminals are still alive, living in peace and comfort, protected by the Japanese government.” -- including the entire Imperial Hirohito family, who were given immunity from war responsibility. (wtf again)

Desensitization training:
“New candidate officers underwent intensive training to stiffen their endurance for war. In the program an instructor had pointed to a thin, emaciated Chinese in a detention center and told the officers: ‘These are the raw materials for your trial of courage.’ Day after day the instructor taught them how to cut off heads and bayonet living prisoners.”

From R. J. Rummel, “one of the world’s greatest authority on democide (a term he coined to include both genocide and government mass murder)”. These words ringed so loudly in so many aspects of history:
“Power kills, and absolute power kills absolutely.”

I also applaud the book for thoroughly addressing the Safety Zone that was created and protected by a mere 22 foreigners. What incredible courage and strength! For some, the horror they witnessed never stopped haunting them.

Her Introduction ended with the American Philosopher, George Santayana’s quote: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it (from "Life of Reason I"). Her book now serves as an important monument in our historical timeline – to prevent similar history from repeating itself. Coincidentally, this is one of my favorite quotes. show less

A well-researched and thorough history of one of history's lesser known war crimes. It is now somewhat dated, as I think the events in Nanking after the Japanese invasion of 1937 are more widely known and acknowledged, thanks in large part to Chang's work. While the details of the mass murder and rapes are harrowing, I found her examination of Japanese denials and refusal to admit wrong-doing more interesting (and less traumatic to read about).

Why did I never learn about this in school? How come the first I ever heard of “The Rape of Nanking” was when I happened to stumble across the book title on my Goodreads recommendations?
It disheartens me to learn that this part of history is heavily censored and covered up in other countries - but I was freely educated in America and it didn’t seem to make a difference.
This book eventually found its way to me, yes, but only because I happen to actively seek out history books - friends and family have never heard of this.
In school we learn plenty about the Holocaust, so why do I not remember learning anything about Japanese war crimes and atrocities during WWII that horrified even the Nazis?
Perhaps it is because Germany show more actively acknowledges and tries to make amends for their past, whereas Japan still refuses to admit any wrongdoing. Why are we still letting it slip through the cracks?
This book is very (emotionally) difficult to read, more so as a woman, and I had to pace myself through it. I vividly remember lying in bed with my eyes squeezed shut, listening to the audiobook, body fully tensed, and mentally whispering/praying to myself “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus…” as the tears slipped out. Because there are just no other words. show less

This book describes one of the most brutal massacres of innocent civilians and unarmed soldiers in the history of modern warfare. In December of 1937, before the official start date of World War 2, Japan had already begun it's attempt to create what it called the Greater East Asia Co Prosperity Sphere - or a Japanese Empire, by invading mainland China and it's invading armies had entered into the city of Nanking. The city was abandoned but not everyone had the time to get out before the arrival of the Japanese troops. With the capture of the city and tens of thousands of surrendered Chinese soldiers, the Japanese decided to eliminate the prisoners in a vast orgy of murder, gang rape, torture, and the most appalling scene of sadism show more possibly imaginable.

From a prewar population of about 1.2 million people, it is estimated that about half escaped the city before the
Japanese arrived. About half of who was left found shelter, more or less, in an area of Nanking marked off by American and German diplomats as a safety zone (remember, this was before we entered the war). But before the killings subsided, it is estimated that the Japanese slaughtered about 300,000 people, men, women, and children. Re-read that statistic again. Of the roughly 600,000 left in the city, some 300,000 found refuge in the Safety Zone and some 300,000 were killed. The author estimates that during the entire war with China (1937 - 1945) Japan was responsible for killing about 19 million Chinese.

At the time that Iris Chang began to research this book, Japan had not apologized for these killings and in many instances had not even acknowledged that it had occurred. The Japanese public during the war and even afterwards were not informed of it, and to publicize this action was one goal. "In the early 1990s a newspaper article quoted a Japanese high school teacher who claimed that his students were surprised to learn that Japan had been at war with the United States. The first thing they wanted to know was who won." (p.205). Hence the subtitle:"The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II." However, by the time the book was published in 1997, that had begun to change which she acknowledged in her Epilogue.

She also insists that Japan needs to apologize in order to fully take her place among the nations of the world today. Again, since she began research on this book, Japan has, of sorts, done so, especially beginning in 1995, although few specifically mention by name the city of Nanking: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_war_apology_statements_issued_by_Japan

She specifically credits certain American newspaper reporters operating within the International Safety Zone for reporting to the world, at great risks to their own lives, the massacre as it was in progress. This was in contrast to the strictly controlled newspaper releases by state operated news outlets of the Japanese. I mention this now because of the importance of maintaining a press free from government censure or even pressure to conform to governmental expectations (fake news - not the right answer, etc).

After the war, Japanese war criminals were divided into three classes - A, B, and C, with "A" being the worst. Very few Class A criminals were executed and Emperor Hirohito himself was left unmolested and as a figurehead Emperor. The reason for this was, of course, the looming Cold War with Communism and the Soviet Union. Japan's strategic position was viewed with importance and her post war friendship was courted. This angered many, many people, especially among the Chinese. But Americans and Japanese became buddy-buddies, and, after 1949, Americans and Chinese became enemies following their Communist revolution. If politics makes strange bed-fellows, International politics makes even stranger bed-fellows.

If you decide to read this book be advised, it is a gut-wrenching read. I had to stop several times just to breathe. show less

”Almost all people have this potential for evil, which would be unleashed only under certain dangerous social circumstances.”

A beloved European friend, who’s currently living in Changzhou, has been pestering me to read this book for months. I was unwilling. Of course, History is my greatest love and I was extremely familiar with the tragedy of Nanjing the capital of China at the time- through documentaries and films. This is exactly why I hadn’t read Iris Chang’s book. I couldn’t bear to visualize the scenes of destruction and utter brutality in my mind. Even the Wikipedia page narrating the slaughters is a place of horror. However, I thought that maybe the time had finally come and I ventured…

What kind of review can I show more possibly write now? There are times that I feel my words lose all meaning…The book chronicles the atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders after the fall of the city on 13/12/1937. The estimated victims? 300,000 people over a period of six weeks….The writing is detailed, powerful, razor-sharp. The horror comes through the pages not because the writer intended to shock but because the events described have no need for embellishment or sensationalist language. The violence, the ordeal, the brutality of the attacks, the behaviour of the monsters, the paranoia. Women and children, innocent civilians, meeting a fate and an end that no one is able to imagine. I feel that each sentence I am writing falls short, remains meaningless, devoid of any substance. It is impossible to enclose and communicate the feelings caused in me while I was reading Chang’s book. The anger, the hatred, the despair…It’s like a journey to a Hell that no religion has ever conceived, a pit of blood and madness that leaves you hopeless, empty, frozen….

And in the end? And now? So many eulogies, so many times mankind has uttered ”never again”. And the result? Nothing. Purely nothing. We loudly and wildly proclaim ”never another Holocaust, another Somme, another Vietnam, another Nanjing…”’ Empty words and evil deeds are the banes of History. I often feel the human race has learnt nothing from its darkest moments. We live through endless repetitions of horrors (in various degrees and forms), watching today’s ”elected” dictators giving speeches, ruling lives….I don’t care about political or religious issues, I don’t care about political correctness. This isn’t about power or international relationships. This is about the sheer brutality that lives in every human being, waiting for a chance to come forth and attack and the natural tendencies exploited by those in power all over the world, throughout the course of History. How can one stop this? The answer is yet to be found…. show less

* Any comments regarding politics will be dealt with. Flagged, blocked, accompanied by one of my endlessly innovative insults. Take your political opinions elsewhere, the few of you who think this is bloody Facebook. I'm not interested.

”Almost all people have this potential for evil, which would be unleashed only under certain dangerous social circumstances.”

A beloved European friend, who’s currently living in Changzhou, has been pestering me to read this book for months. I was unwilling. Of course, History is my greatest love and I was extremely familiar with the tragedy of Nanjing the capital of China at the time- through documentaries and films. This is exactly why I hadn’t read Iris Chang’s book. I couldn’t bear to show more visualize the scenes of destruction and utter brutality in my mind. Even the Wikipedia page narrating the slaughters is a place of horror. However, I thought that maybe the time had finally come and I ventured…

What kind of review can I possibly write now? There are times that I feel my words lose all meaning…The book chronicles the atrocities committed by the Japanese invaders after the fall of the city on 13/12/1937. The estimated victims? 300,000 people over a period of six weeks….The writing is detailed, powerful, razor-sharp. The horror comes through the pages not because the writer intended to shock but because the events described have no need for embellishment or sensationalist language. The violence, the ordeal, the brutality of the attacks, the behaviour of the monsters, the paranoia. Women and children, innocent civilians, meeting a fate and an end that no one is able to imagine. I feel that each sentence I am writing falls short, remains meaningless, devoid of any substance. It is impossible to enclose and communicate the feelings caused in me while I was reading Chang’s book. The anger, the hatred, the despair…It’s like a journey to a Hell that no religion has ever conceived, a pit of blood and madness that leaves you hopeless, empty, frozen….

And in the end? And now? So many eulogies, so many times mankind has uttered ”never again”. And the result? Nothing. Purely nothing. We loudly and wildly proclaim ”never another Holocaust, another Somme, another Vietnam, another Nanjing…”’ Empty words and evil deeds are the banes of History. I often feel the human race has learnt nothing from its darkest moments. We live through endless repetitions of horrors (in various degrees and forms), watching today’s ”elected” dictators giving speeches, ruling lives….I don’t care about political or religious issues, I don’t care about political correctness. This isn’t about power or international relationships. This is about the sheer brutality that lives in every human being, waiting for a chance to come forth and attack and the natural tendencies exploited by those in power all over the world, throughout the course of History. How can one stop this? The answer is yet to be found….

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com show less