HUMAN 1C Lecture 10: Lecture 10Witnesses to War III
Document Summary
Dec 13, 1937 japense army enters the walled city. 20,000 women raped during a 6-week period beginning on dec 13. There were more people killed in nanking than hiroshima and nagasaki together. Just being a women put you in danger of being raped. Founded in 495 bce, captial of china in 1937. Japanese did not formally honor the safety zone but they did respect it. Once they were captured, they were tied up and grouped in large groups and shot by the river. Given the ferocity of these 6 weeks, historians have considered many reasons why they would do that. The japanese had expected shanghai to fall much more quickly and easily. And the were angry at the chinese as they reached nanking. Education, military traingin, and samurai tradition had taught the men disdain for those who surrender rather than fight to the death. Japanese soldiers in the war had chosen death over surrender.
