 after.
Firsthand accounts of the massacre describe how the Japanese soldiers went from home to home searching for civilians. During this time, they carried out mass rapes and murders of Chinese women and girls. For example, on December 19th in 1937, Reverend James M. McCallum wrote: “I know not where to end. Never I have heard or read such brutality. Rape! Rape! Rape! We estimate at least 1,000 cases a night and many by day. In case of resistance or anything that seems like disapproval, there is a bayonet stab or a bullet ... People are hysterical ... Women are being carried off every morning, afternoon and evening. The whole Japanese army seems to be free to go and come as it pleases, and to do whatever it pleases.” It was not uncommon for the women and girls to be killed following the rape, although many did survive the attacks. It has been estimated that as many as 20,000 women and girls were raped during the assault. At the same time, the Japanese Army was also carrying out a systematic attack against the city in the form of theft, arson and mass murder. There is evidence and firsthand accounts of Japanese soldiers breaking into shops and hotels in the city and stealing any of the goods that they could carry. They also destroyed huge sections of the city by lighting homes and offices on fire. Some historians have reported that over one third of the city was destroyed by fire. Finally, the Japanese Army carried a widespread massacre of the citizens, which resulted in the death of as many 300,000 Chinese citizens. In general, it’s difficult to determine the exact number of people that died it’s a controversial historical topic. The difficulty in determining the number that died is a result of the lack of record keeping of the time, but contemporary historians generally accept that anywhere from 40,000 to 300,000 were killed as part of the massacre. Many of the victims were found to be shot to death. Some were shot by firing squad, while others were shot in the back as they tried to flee. Whereas, other victims 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 di