 were beheaded by Japanese officers with the use of a samurai sword. In the end, it was a brutal massacre that led to horrible actions carried out against a helpless civilian population. The massacre ended in January of 1938, when the Japanese gained complete control over the city and the Chinese population in the region. Once gaining control, the mass murder and rapes stopped and the safety zone was ended.
In August of 1945, following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan formally surrendered and World War II came to an end. With the end of the war, there was a series of criminal trials carried out to hold war criminals responsible for their actions. Possibly the most famous of these trials was the Nuremberg Trials which involved several high-ranking Nazi officials and the war crimes of Nazi Germany during the Holocaust. In relation to the Nanking Massacre, Japanese officials were brought before the International Military Tribunal of the Far East. For example, General Iwane Matsui who led the attack against Nanking was arrested and put on trial for his role in the massacre. In general, he denied knowing about the murders and rapes and blamed it on the actions of lower level commanders. Regardless, he was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging, a lot with other Japanese officials. He was executed on December 23rd, 1948 at the age of 70.
The history and significance of the Nanking Massacre has stirred controversy since it first occurred. For example, in Japan today it is a complex topic that creates heated debate. Some argue that it was a horrible crime against humanity which saw nearly 300,000 Chinese people slaughtered. Others argue that the atrocities did in fact occur but not to the degree that Chinese officials stated. Instead, they argue that the raping and killing was on a much smaller and more isolated scale. Still others hold the opinion that the Nanking Massacre did not occur at all and was a creation of Chinese propaganda. Today, most historians agree that the massacre occurred but disagree on the exact details of its history.