Nanjing Massacre Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Nanjing Massacre - Term Paper ExampleThis unprecedented mischance c whollyed Nanjing Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, was a living hell for its victims and until present time it a symbol of Nipponese militarism in World War II. Western nations for some time were not acknowledging Nanjings tragedy. There were several(prenominal) political factors that have contributed to it. The Japanese government downplayed the degree of its militaristic advances during World War II directly after the war, while both Chinese govern-ments purposefully neglected the incident as they focused on establishing their political and economic strength, which required a sound relationship with Japan. The U.S. government valued Japans come in as a strategic ally during the Cold War more than the need for justice. Such political complications led each country to circumvent the issues of Nanking. (Li, Fei-Fei, xxiii)HISTORIC BACKGROUNDAfter the incident on the force in the city of Mukden in September 1931, Japan, blaming Chinese nationalists for that explosion, began the invasion of Manchuria, China. Since that time several major battles mingled with Japanese army forces Chinese army were raged, such as battle in Shanghai (1932), commodious Wall (1933). To solve the situation, some agreements were settled among China and Japan which somewhat defused the situation scrawny Manchuria. At that time China was engulfed into the Civil War and therefore was not able to considerably support Japanese invasion. An important incident happened in China in December of 1936, known as Xian Incident, when precedent warlord of Manchuria was suddenly arrested and kidnapped. This incident led the Nationalists and the Communists to form an united front against Japan in 1937. It is then that an all out defense against Japanese military started, at least formally. China had the largest army in the innovation at the time, but most of the Chinese army was not trained and poorly equipped, with some ma rch armed mainly with swords and hand grenades. Only few corps had anti-tank weaponry. 7 July 1937 a battle between Republic of Chinas National Revolutionary Army and the Imperial Japanese Army happened. This battle is often think of the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War. Shortly after that Japan extensively invaded mainland China and captured major Chinese cities. just about Chinese still remember Marco Polo Bridge Incident and Mukden as days of national humiliation. Japanese military forces had planned to conquer China in just three months, but in August of 1937 it face strong resistance and had many casualties in the Battle of Shanghai, a very bloody hand-to-hand combat. several(prenominal) historians believe that this situation contributed to the psychological conditions of the Japanese soldiers to later be so grueling cruel in Nanjing. The Japanese had captured Shanghai only by mid-November with the help of fleet and Air Force. The casualties were so heavy that gene ral Staff Headquarters in Tokyo decided not to expand the war. By that time the morale of the troops were very low. As the Japanese army grew closer to Nanjing, Chinese civilians fled the city. Chinese military themselves were destroying anything in the city that might be of value to the Japanese army many buildings in the city, forest and holy villages around Nanjing were burnt to the ground. NANJING MASSACRE On December 7, the Japanese army came close to the city walls of Nanjing. They dropped leaflets into the city, requesting the cease of Nanjing within 24 hours and promising mercy to innocent civilians.