Chinese soldiers were hunted down and killed by the thousands, and left in mass graves. Even before their arrival, word had begun spreading of the numerous atrocities they had committed on their way through China, including killing contests, arson and pillaging. On December 13, the first troops of Japan’s Central China Front Army, commanded by General Matsui Iwane, entered the city. World War II History Japanese Destroy Nanjing All remaining citizens were ordered into the safety zone for their protection. On December 1, the Chinese government abandoned Nanjing, leaving the International Committee in charge. The safety zone, opened in November 1937, was roughly the size of New York’s Central Park and consisted of more than a dozen small refugee camps. Abandoned as the national capital in 1949 for Beijing, it later grew into a modern industrial city during the communist period and today is home to many of China's largest state-owned firms.Ī small group of Western businessmen and missionaries, the International Committee for the Nanjing Safety Zone, attempted to set up a neutral area of the city that would provide refuge for Nanjing’s civilians. Many ignored this order and fled, but the rest were left to the mercy of the approaching enemy.ĭid you know? Once one of China's most prosperous cities and industrial centers, Nanjing took decades to recover from the devastation it experienced in the Rape of Nanjing. During the early years of World War II, and following a bloody victory in Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Japanese turned their attention towards the capital city of Nanjing.įearful of losing his military forces in battle, China’s Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-Shek ordered the removal of nearly all official Chinese troops from the city, leaving it defended by untrained auxiliary troops.Ĭhiang also ordered the city held at any cost, and forbade the official evacuation of its citizens.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |