Essay On The Nanking Massacre

Wars cannot be simplified to one nation fighting another. Nations contain individuals who act contrarily to the majority of their fellow citizens or their government. Oversimplifying wartime atrocities leads historians and the general public down a dangerous road because they paint an image in black and white, rather than in hazy greys, which better encompass the complicated intricacies of conflict. There can be no better example of this dangerous road than the academic disagreement over the Nanking Massacre from late 1937 to early 1938. Although the massacre can be easily simplified to the Chinese view versus the Japanese view, this generalization does little to address the fact that “national histories are intrinsically contentious and never garner strict unanimity of opinion”. However, once historians have tackled monolithic terms, such as “The Chinese” or “The Japanese”, it is much easier to decipher the
disagreement about Nanking. The Rape of Nanking continues to be a historical debate due to disagreement of the geographical space and time frame in which the massacre occurred and what constitutes as a legal form of killing during wartime. Even after the International Military Tribunal for the Far East from 1946-1948 concluded the Imperial Army was guilty of war crimes, both sides continue to debate the veracity of witness statements and the 300,000 death toll in Nanking. Although there is heavy disagreement about Nanking regarding the number of those killed and its legality, it cannot be denied atrocities occurred and must be rectified in order to serve the higher purpose of ensuring the safety and respect of all human life. After securing Shanghai in early November of 1937, the Japanese Imperial Army began its march towards Nanking. The city, which normally had a population around 250,000, had swelled to nearly a population of 500,000 long-term residents. Some argue it was closer to one million by the mid 1930’s, soaking up Chinese refugees who were forced to flee their homes due to Japanese invasion. After days of heavy artillery fire and aerial attacks, the Imperial Army crossed into the walled city of Nanking with little to no resistance from the Chinese Army. It is the events that occurred in Nanking from December 13th, 1937 to late February of 1938 that are the cause of contention between scholars. Although there is no doubt the Japanese Imperial Army murdered, raped and tortured Chinese civilians and prisoners of war in Nanking, scholars continue to debate the number of those killed or wounded, if there was justification behind the deaths, and how the events should be remembered by society. There is no doubt that an unwarranted massacre occurred in Nanking from late 1937 to early 1938.
These events are not isolated, and should be studied in the context of western colonialism, inadequate training of conscripted Chinese soldiers, years of contempt between China and Japan, and the United States’ political and social promise to end the spread of communism. After establishing historical context, scholars must be willing to actively reevaluate their perspective to ensure they realize how their own biases affect their historical interpretation of events. The question then becomes, how can this argument be put to rest so that the victims, victimizers and their descendants can begin the process of healing? It may be wishful thinking to hope that those inspired by the ideal of universal human dignity will construct a single narrative of the Nanking Massacre to create a more peaceful future. A common understanding of history is a difficult task to achieve, but serves to build an international respect of human life despite differences in
nationality.