The Nanjing Massacre also known as the Rape of Nanjing is among the prominent massacres ever recorded in human history. The massacre occurred in the year 1937 in which the Japanese Imperial Army began its attack on Nanjing, the capital of the Republic of China. The Japanese soldiers killed the remaining Chinese troops, which was a violation of the laws of war. They also went ahead and murdered Chinese civilians regardless of their age, raped Chinese women, and looted and destroyed property of a massive scale. The roots of the atrocities exhibited by Japanese soldiers have raised questions that remain unanswered to the present day. However, I was able to formulate a few reasons based on the books and articles that I have read.
First, the Japanese troops wanted revenge. This was after they suffered considerable losses in the hands of the Chinese army the previous battle in Shanghai. The Japanese had contested in the 3-month long Battle of Shanghai and lost approximately 40, 000 comrades with tens of thousands severely wounded. Their nurture also fueled their quench for revenge. In the late nineteenth century, the Japanese elementary schools were considered to be practically like small military units. Children were taught basic skills of war, that is, they were trained to fight and handle guns. These educational institutions were instead viewed as soldier breeding grounds. Moreover, during that period, the Japanese troops were nurtured on samurai, bushido and Shinto cultures that advocate for ruthlessness.
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Second, the Japanese troops experienced a long-term reduction of discipline. In the 1920s during the Taisho period, the climate of the liberal trends dictated the commanding officers to instill absolute obedience into the recruits through inhumane means. As a result, the recruits were brutalized by their commanders; therefore, they needed an outlet for their anger and aggression. Unfortunately, the Chinese became a convenient outlet.
In conclusion, there is no known reason as to why the Japanese committed atrocities in the Nanjing Massacre. This is because the Japanese had made limited information regarding the event available. However, the two above mentioned reasons might have among some of the reasons behind the atrocities.
- Nanking Massacre. “1937 Nanking Massacre”. Nanking-Massacre.Com, 2018, http://nanking-massacre.com/. Accessed 4 Dec 2018.
