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Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)

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Chart Increasing

Case Study 2: German & Italian Expansion 1933-40 (The Global War)

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Part 1 - Rivalry, Mistrust & Accord (The Cold War)

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Part 2 - Leaders & Nations (The Cold War)

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Part 3 - Cold War Crises (The Cold War)

<ul>
	<li>Event: Fall of Nanjing</li>
	<li>Date: December 1937</li>
	<li>Location: Nanjing, the capital of Nationalist China</li>
	<li>Actors involved: Japanese forces, Chinese civilian population</li>
</ul>

The fall of Nanjing, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, was a particularly brutal and notorious event during the Sino-Japanese War. Japanese forces captured the city in December 1937 and engaged in acts of extreme violence against the Chinese population, including mass executions, rape, and other atrocities.

<ul>
	<li>Context: Nanjing was the capital of Nationalist China, and the Japanese targeted it as part of their invasion during the Sino-Japanese War.</li>
	<li>Violence and Brutality: After capturing the city, the Japanese forces acted with extreme cruelty, rounding up and killing males of military age, and raping and killing women and girls.</li>
	<li>Reasons for Brutality: Historians have speculated on the reasons for such appalling acts by the Japanese forces.
	<ul>
		<li>Frustration: Rana Mitter suggests that the prolonged resistance in Shanghai frustrated Japanese soldiers, making them deeply angry (China&rsquo;s War with Japan 1937&ndash;1945, 2014, p. 138).</li>
		<li>Racism: Jonathan Fenby notes that racism was a factor, with one Japanese soldier likening the Chinese to &quot;ants crawling on the ground&quot; (The Penguin History of Modern China: The Fall and Rise of a Great Power, 2009, p. 282).</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>Jiang Jieshi&#39;s Retreat: The Chinese leader, Jiang Jieshi, had already left Nanjing by the time the Japanese soldiers entered and was setting up a new capital in Chongqing, in the interior of China.</li>
	<li>Global Response to the Fall of Nanjing: The International Peace Campaign conference held in London in February 1938 protested against the Japanese invasion of China, calling for a boycott of Japanese goods. This boycott was supported by various groups worldwide:</li>
	<li>In Southampton, UK, dock workers refused to unload cotton bales from Japan.</li>
	<li>In Le Havre, France, workers refused to load munitions destined for Japan.</li>
	<li>In the United States, the Washington Commonwealth Federation led a boycott of Japanese goods in Seattle, and women were encouraged to wear cotton stockings instead of Japanese silk.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>Racism as a factor for violence: Unfortunately, instances of violence fueled by racism are not unique to the Rape of Nanjing. For example, the Holocaust was a mass genocide carried out by the Nazis against Jews and other groups, driven in part by racist ideology. Studying the role of racism in events like the Rape of Nanjing or the Holocaust highlights the dangers of dehumanizing others and emphasizes the importance of promoting tolerance and understanding.</li>
	<li>Boycotts as a form of protest: Boycotts have been used throughout history as a form of protest against unjust policies or actions. For instance, the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the 1950s was a protest against racial segregation in the American South. Boycotts can raise awareness, put economic pressure on the targeted group, and galvanize public support for a cause.</li>
</ul>

Tragedy of Nanjing 1937: The Horrors of the Sino-Japanese War

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Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)

Tragedy of Nanjing 1937: The Horrors of the Sino-Japanese War

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Case study 1: Japanese Expansion In East Asia 1931-41 (The Global War)

Tragedy of Nanjing 1937: The Horrors of the Sino-Japanese War

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Key facts

Summary

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