Period 4: Madi, Erin, Sana, Dominique, Tyler, Navin
INTRODUCTION
During the Pacific War, the Japanese captured the capital city of Peking, and in order to break the Chinese’s spirits, the Japanese enacted a policy of brute savagery, which included murdering, raping, and looting. The Japanese were beyond aggravated at the Chinese resistance and sought to create and invent even more brutal tragedies to slaughter the Chinese for daring to rebel. Many Chinese civilians were slaughtered after they were found to have nothing of value on them for the Japanese to loot. They carried their training over into the Chinese city of Nanking when on December 13, 1937, the Japanese seized the city and began a campaign of brutally raping and massacring Chinese civilians. The soldiers were encouraged by their superiors to slaughter more civilians, as seen from the final body count and the number of dead bodies piling up after. This event later became known as the Nanking Massacre or the Rape of Nanking. Despite many warnings by the U.S. embassy for Americans to evacuate, some decided to stay, one of those crucial American figures was Minnie Vautrin. Minnie Vautrin, who was a missionary, originally came to China to help during the Chinese Nationalist Revolution in 1912. She later went on to become the dean of studies at a local college in Nanking where she worked to help Chinese women recieve an education. When the Pacific War Broke in 1937 and Nanking was invaded, she decided to stay at Ginling College and turned it into a sanctuary for women and girls. This later gained her the name “The Goddess of Mercy” by the people she helped to save.
PODCAST
PRIMARY SOURCES
Minnie Vautrin
December 10, 1937
Refugees continue to come in this morning....This afternoon F. Chen and I went to our west boundary to help put up Safety Zone flags....While we were out, there were severe air raid and several bombs were dropped west of the Seminary. For the first time I heard the whirr of a dropping bomb, and saw the flash from the anti-aircraft guns....The Japanese are said to be very near Gwang Hwa Gate. Fires have been seen around the city a good part of the day, and tonight the sky to the west is aflame—the destruction of the houses of the poor just outside the city wall.... At the Press Conference tonight the question was raised of the poor when the city is turned over. Who will take care of them during coming months?
December 13, 1937
(Have heard that Japanese entered Gwang “[Hwa]” Gate at 4 a.m.).
...4 p.m. The report came to me that there were Japanese soldiers on the hill west of us. I went up to South Hill Residence, and sure enough our West Hill had a number on it....7:30 p.m. The men managing the rice kitchen report that Japanese soldiers are occupying the house opposite our gate in which the rice is stored....Tonight Nanking has no lights, no water, no telephone, no city paper, no radio. We are indeed separated from all of you by an impenetrable zone. So far Ginling, people and buildings, has come through safely—but we are not sure of the coming days. We areall fearfully tired.
Minnie Vautrin's assistant, Tsen Shui-Fang
Wednesday, December 8th
The Safety Zone was established two months ago. Because Japan denied the need for establishing a safety zone [in Nanjing], it delayed its response. . . . Later, Japan replied that it might or might not recognize [the neutrality of] the Safety Zone. Two months ago, the International Committee decided to establish the Safety Zone with or without Japan’s recognition but did not raise its flags at the boundaries of the zone until today. . . . According to the International Committee’s regulations, all the private residences [in the zone] should be available for borrowing or renting. The public buildings have yet to be opened [to receive refugees]. The city’s south and Hsia Kwan are all on fire. Some fires were set by our army for the sake of strategy; some started by the Japanese troops from outside of the city. . . . We have decided only to receive women and children, but not men. Currently we plan to receive 2,700 people. . . . This is our plan. However, we have no idea how many will eventually come.
Tuesday, December 14th
Many more refugees came [to the college] today. All fled to here from the Safety Zone because the Japanese soldiers came to their homes to demand money and to rape. Quite a few people were bayoneted to death on the streets. The situation in the Safety Zone is [terrible] like this and it is even worse outside the Zone. Nobody dares to go out of the Safety Zone. Most of the dead were young men.
(https://www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/conviction-and-courage-minnie-vautrin)
Refugees continue to come in this morning....This afternoon F. Chen and I went to our west boundary to help put up Safety Zone flags....While we were out, there were severe air raid and several bombs were dropped west of the Seminary. For the first time I heard the whirr of a dropping bomb, and saw the flash from the anti-aircraft guns....The Japanese are said to be very near Gwang Hwa Gate. Fires have been seen around the city a good part of the day, and tonight the sky to the west is aflame—the destruction of the houses of the poor just outside the city wall.... At the Press Conference tonight the question was raised of the poor when the city is turned over. Who will take care of them during coming months?
December 13, 1937
(Have heard that Japanese entered Gwang “[Hwa]” Gate at 4 a.m.).
...4 p.m. The report came to me that there were Japanese soldiers on the hill west of us. I went up to South Hill Residence, and sure enough our West Hill had a number on it....7:30 p.m. The men managing the rice kitchen report that Japanese soldiers are occupying the house opposite our gate in which the rice is stored....Tonight Nanking has no lights, no water, no telephone, no city paper, no radio. We are indeed separated from all of you by an impenetrable zone. So far Ginling, people and buildings, has come through safely—but we are not sure of the coming days. We areall fearfully tired.
Minnie Vautrin's assistant, Tsen Shui-Fang
Wednesday, December 8th
The Safety Zone was established two months ago. Because Japan denied the need for establishing a safety zone [in Nanjing], it delayed its response. . . . Later, Japan replied that it might or might not recognize [the neutrality of] the Safety Zone. Two months ago, the International Committee decided to establish the Safety Zone with or without Japan’s recognition but did not raise its flags at the boundaries of the zone until today. . . . According to the International Committee’s regulations, all the private residences [in the zone] should be available for borrowing or renting. The public buildings have yet to be opened [to receive refugees]. The city’s south and Hsia Kwan are all on fire. Some fires were set by our army for the sake of strategy; some started by the Japanese troops from outside of the city. . . . We have decided only to receive women and children, but not men. Currently we plan to receive 2,700 people. . . . This is our plan. However, we have no idea how many will eventually come.
Tuesday, December 14th
Many more refugees came [to the college] today. All fled to here from the Safety Zone because the Japanese soldiers came to their homes to demand money and to rape. Quite a few people were bayoneted to death on the streets. The situation in the Safety Zone is [terrible] like this and it is even worse outside the Zone. Nobody dares to go out of the Safety Zone. Most of the dead were young men.
(https://www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/conviction-and-courage-minnie-vautrin)
John Rabe
9 December 1937
. . . The streets of the Safety Zone are flooded with refugees loaded down with bundles. The old Communication Ministry (arsenal) is opened to refugees and in no time fills to the rafters. We cordon off two rooms because our weapons and ammunition are in them. Among the refugees are deserters, who hand over their uniforms and weapons.
12 December
8 p.m.
The sky to the south is all in flames. The two dugouts in the garden are now filled to the brim with refugees. There are knocks at both gates to the property. Women and children plead to be let in. Several plucky fellows seeking shelter on my grounds climb over the garden wall behind the German School.
And I can’t listen to their wailing any longer, so I open both gates and let everyone in who wants in. Since there’s no more room in the dugouts, I allocate people to various sheds and to corners of the house.
. . . The streets of the Safety Zone are flooded with refugees loaded down with bundles. The old Communication Ministry (arsenal) is opened to refugees and in no time fills to the rafters. We cordon off two rooms because our weapons and ammunition are in them. Among the refugees are deserters, who hand over their uniforms and weapons.
12 December
8 p.m.
The sky to the south is all in flames. The two dugouts in the garden are now filled to the brim with refugees. There are knocks at both gates to the property. Women and children plead to be let in. Several plucky fellows seeking shelter on my grounds climb over the garden wall behind the German School.
And I can’t listen to their wailing any longer, so I open both gates and let everyone in who wants in. Since there’s no more room in the dugouts, I allocate people to various sheds and to corners of the house.
Chinese
Testimony of Wen Sunshi:
“My husband knows that I was raped by a Japanese soldier, but empathizes with me. He passed away a couple of years ago. In my home, I can’t bear to tell my sons and daughters, and I’m worried that other people will find out and look down upon me. At that time, my cousin was only eighteen-years-old. He was taken away by the Japanese troops and never returned. I personally watched as the Japanese troops massacred many people. We had a neighbor, elderly Ms. Zhen, who was about eighty-years-old. She thought that because she was old, she could remain at home and be fine. In actuality, she was brutally murdered by the Japanese, with her stomach slashed open.”
“My husband knows that I was raped by a Japanese soldier, but empathizes with me. He passed away a couple of years ago. In my home, I can’t bear to tell my sons and daughters, and I’m worried that other people will find out and look down upon me. At that time, my cousin was only eighteen-years-old. He was taken away by the Japanese troops and never returned. I personally watched as the Japanese troops massacred many people. We had a neighbor, elderly Ms. Zhen, who was about eighty-years-old. She thought that because she was old, she could remain at home and be fine. In actuality, she was brutally murdered by the Japanese, with her stomach slashed open.”
Testimony of Chen Jiashou:
“I was taken by some nearby Japanese soldiers and brought to a pond adjacent to Shanghai Road. Having not stood there for more than two minutes, I watched as a group of armed Japanese soldiers hustled several lines of about two hundred Chinese troops toward the edge of the pond, surrounding them with weapons to prevent them from escaping. At that time, I was also ordered to stand among the front line of Chinese soldiers. I was only 19 years old, and terribly frightened.
Thus, the instant the Japanese soldiers opened fire on us all, I immediately fell toward the ground, faking my death. Struck by the flying bullets, my Chinese comrades all piled up on my body. Right up till it got dark and the Japanese soldiers had all left, I lay under the dead bodies, not daring to move. Only then did I climb out from under the pile of bodies. It was thus how I became a fortunate survivor of the Nanjing massacre.”
“A man surnamed Tse heard the sound of a Japanese truck, so stuck his head out to take a look. Coincidentally, he caught the eyes of the Japanese troops, who immediately disembarked and tied Old Tse up, forcing him to kneel on the ground. One of them took out a bayonet, and violently hacked at Old Tse’s head. Unfortunately, though the back of Old Tse’s neck was sliced through, his head hung on by the remaining front part of his neck—he was still breathing and alive, collapsed on the floor. Seeing this, the Japanese soldiers then raised their leather boots, mercilessly kicking him around the Changshan Park’s grounds. It was only then, with his head severed and his body trashed, that Old Tse passed away.”
“I was taken by some nearby Japanese soldiers and brought to a pond adjacent to Shanghai Road. Having not stood there for more than two minutes, I watched as a group of armed Japanese soldiers hustled several lines of about two hundred Chinese troops toward the edge of the pond, surrounding them with weapons to prevent them from escaping. At that time, I was also ordered to stand among the front line of Chinese soldiers. I was only 19 years old, and terribly frightened.
Thus, the instant the Japanese soldiers opened fire on us all, I immediately fell toward the ground, faking my death. Struck by the flying bullets, my Chinese comrades all piled up on my body. Right up till it got dark and the Japanese soldiers had all left, I lay under the dead bodies, not daring to move. Only then did I climb out from under the pile of bodies. It was thus how I became a fortunate survivor of the Nanjing massacre.”
“A man surnamed Tse heard the sound of a Japanese truck, so stuck his head out to take a look. Coincidentally, he caught the eyes of the Japanese troops, who immediately disembarked and tied Old Tse up, forcing him to kneel on the ground. One of them took out a bayonet, and violently hacked at Old Tse’s head. Unfortunately, though the back of Old Tse’s neck was sliced through, his head hung on by the remaining front part of his neck—he was still breathing and alive, collapsed on the floor. Seeing this, the Japanese soldiers then raised their leather boots, mercilessly kicking him around the Changshan Park’s grounds. It was only then, with his head severed and his body trashed, that Old Tse passed away.”
Japanese
Private Kurosu Tadanobu
[His diary on December 16]
"We took about 5,000 prisoners of war, some of those we captured a couple of days ago, to the bank of the Yangtze and mowed them down by machine guns. Then we stabbed them with bayonets to our satisfaction. I probably bayoneted 30-odd hateful Chinese soldiers. Climbing up the heap of dead bodies and bayoneting them gave me a courage, which made me feel I could even vanquish ogres. I stabbed them with all my might while hearing them groan. There were some old ones and kids. I killed them all. I even borrowed a sword and severed a head. It was the most unusual experience I’ve ever had.”
[Interview on the videotape] “The next day there was another call [for an execution] but I wasn’t assigned for it. I did it only once. I believe we killed all the prisoners of war our unit captured. I heard that we had some 20,000 in total… Before I crossed the river [to go to another front in China], I was shocked to see a long stretch of hundreds of charred bodies on the banks. Then I was sure we killed tens of thousands…. It [the Nanjing Massacre] is true, indeed. It is not a lie…. To be honest, I wanted the war to end in Nanking. I really wanted to come back [to Japan].”
[His diary on December 16]
"We took about 5,000 prisoners of war, some of those we captured a couple of days ago, to the bank of the Yangtze and mowed them down by machine guns. Then we stabbed them with bayonets to our satisfaction. I probably bayoneted 30-odd hateful Chinese soldiers. Climbing up the heap of dead bodies and bayoneting them gave me a courage, which made me feel I could even vanquish ogres. I stabbed them with all my might while hearing them groan. There were some old ones and kids. I killed them all. I even borrowed a sword and severed a head. It was the most unusual experience I’ve ever had.”
[Interview on the videotape] “The next day there was another call [for an execution] but I wasn’t assigned for it. I did it only once. I believe we killed all the prisoners of war our unit captured. I heard that we had some 20,000 in total… Before I crossed the river [to go to another front in China], I was shocked to see a long stretch of hundreds of charred bodies on the banks. Then I was sure we killed tens of thousands…. It [the Nanjing Massacre] is true, indeed. It is not a lie…. To be honest, I wanted the war to end in Nanking. I really wanted to come back [to Japan].”
ARTIFACTS
Gallery
Documents
Letter from Chairman Emergency Committee to Japanese Embassy
Letter detailing the motives of the Japanese and the propaganda taught to them in school
U.S. Embassy warning Americans of increased dangers in Nanking and details about evacuation
Letter from U.S. Embassy to Nanking Safety Zone
American newspaper showing their knowledge of the events in Nanking
Annotated Bibliography
Vautrin, Minnie. “Conviction and Courage.” Facing History and Ourselves,
www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/conviction-and-courage-minnie-vautrin.
This article is a collection of diary entries detailing Minnie Vautrin’s experience in Nanking at Ginling College. We used this to show how Vautrin contributed to saving Chinese civilians from the Japanese and to show the events leading up to the Nanking Massacre. This was also helpful in showing a firsthand American recount of the event.
Nanking War Crimes Tribunal. “The Nanking Massacre.” The Nanking Massacre, 7 July 2015,
thenankingmassacre.org/2015/07/04/nanking-war-crimes-tribunal/.
From this article we took a picture of a Japanese killing contest propaganda picture. We used this to show the bias and dehumanization that the Japanese soldiers had going in to Nanking. This is evidence to show the Japanese soldiers’ intent to kill as many Chinese civilians as possible.
Facing History and Ourselves. “"I Will Never Forget": Voices of Survivors.” Facing History and
Ourselves,www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/i-will-never-forget-voices-Survivors
This article has the point of view of the Chinese people living through the Nanking Massacre and the travesties and tragedies they had to endure during this time period. It has the journal entries and/or testimonies of the Chinese survivors depicting this horrible event.
The Nanjing atrocities: crimes of war. Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, 2014.
In this book diary entries of Tsen Shui-fang, who worked alongside Minnie Vautrin in the Nanking Safety Zone, were used. This was used to show a Chinese woman’s view of the Nanking Massacre. This is important considering all of the rape of Chinese women that occurred during this time.
“Yale University Library.” Yale University Library, Yale University, 16 Nov. 2007,
divinity-adhoc.library.yale.edu/Nanking/Images/YDS-RG008-265-0002-0034.jpg.
This picture showed Chinese refugees at Ginling College during the rape of Nanking seeking shelter and refuge from the Japanese soldiers. They were children at the time, possibly unbeknownst that their fellow Chinamen and women were being hurt, raped, and victims to house looting. At the Ginling College they had the opportunity to be safe and were a part of many other refugees that suffered from this ongoing incident.
Mk. “Japanese Soldiers’ Diaries.” The Nanking Massacre, 7 July 2015,
thenankingmassacre.org/2015/07/04/japanese-soldiers-diaries/.
In the article describing Japanese soldiers’ experiences during the massacre, it described how psychologically scarring the incident was for many of the Japanese soldiers after what they were ordered to do to their Chinese prisoners. These accounts show how during this time period, the soldiers thought nothing of their death toll because it was an order from their superiors and later recounted their “triumphs” with regret and sorrow. Some soldiers felt that they were not fully aware of differentiating between right and wrong during this time period and that these killings were a part of war. Others at this time enjoyed what they were doing during the rape of Nanking, and source Ono Kenji describes then war veterans using “Chankoro” as a derogatory adjective to Chinese people they were killing and felt no remorse while others did, as shown in the interviews with war veterans in this article.
“The Rape of Nanking 1937-1938 300,000 Deaths.” The History Place - Genocide in the 20th Century: Rape of Nanking 1937-38, www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm.
The History Place, in this article, talks about the overall summary of events involving the rape of Nanking. This recounts that Japanese soldiers had orders to kill as many Chinese as they could and some used this opportunity for sport. This article harshly views the Japanese as shown in their word choice, such as talking of how many Japanese soldiers enjoyed killing the Chinese and took pictures with their conquests. It is also in chronological order describing the horrific events that happened to the Chinese, as well as what they had to do such as Chinese men being forced to rape their own female family members. In conclusion, this article describes what the Japanese and Chinese did before, during, and after the rape of Nanking and shortens the story for better utilization for students and readers in terms of comprehending the events that occurred.
Mk. “Posts about diary on The Nanking Massacre.” The Nanking Massacre, thenankingmassacre.org/tag/diary/.
This article displays the diary accounts of the rape of Nanking as it was happening, from heroes such as Minnie Vautrin, John Rabe and others. They talk in their diary entries in chronological order of the events that occur as they were seeing it at the time. Some entries describe what the Japanese soldiers or Chinese were doing that day or in general during the event. Many of the people’s diaries say that the raping and killing was still going on and that Japanese soldiers promised protection but were hurting more people than they were “protecting”. In general, these diary entries show what other people thought of the event that were not Chinese or Japanese to offer other points of view in this context and their horror in response to the Japanese’s actions towards the Chinese people of Nanking.
www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/conviction-and-courage-minnie-vautrin.
This article is a collection of diary entries detailing Minnie Vautrin’s experience in Nanking at Ginling College. We used this to show how Vautrin contributed to saving Chinese civilians from the Japanese and to show the events leading up to the Nanking Massacre. This was also helpful in showing a firsthand American recount of the event.
Nanking War Crimes Tribunal. “The Nanking Massacre.” The Nanking Massacre, 7 July 2015,
thenankingmassacre.org/2015/07/04/nanking-war-crimes-tribunal/.
From this article we took a picture of a Japanese killing contest propaganda picture. We used this to show the bias and dehumanization that the Japanese soldiers had going in to Nanking. This is evidence to show the Japanese soldiers’ intent to kill as many Chinese civilians as possible.
Facing History and Ourselves. “"I Will Never Forget": Voices of Survivors.” Facing History and
Ourselves,www.facinghistory.org/nanjing-atrocities/atrocities/i-will-never-forget-voices-Survivors
This article has the point of view of the Chinese people living through the Nanking Massacre and the travesties and tragedies they had to endure during this time period. It has the journal entries and/or testimonies of the Chinese survivors depicting this horrible event.
The Nanjing atrocities: crimes of war. Facing History and Ourselves National Foundation, 2014.
In this book diary entries of Tsen Shui-fang, who worked alongside Minnie Vautrin in the Nanking Safety Zone, were used. This was used to show a Chinese woman’s view of the Nanking Massacre. This is important considering all of the rape of Chinese women that occurred during this time.
“Yale University Library.” Yale University Library, Yale University, 16 Nov. 2007,
divinity-adhoc.library.yale.edu/Nanking/Images/YDS-RG008-265-0002-0034.jpg.
This picture showed Chinese refugees at Ginling College during the rape of Nanking seeking shelter and refuge from the Japanese soldiers. They were children at the time, possibly unbeknownst that their fellow Chinamen and women were being hurt, raped, and victims to house looting. At the Ginling College they had the opportunity to be safe and were a part of many other refugees that suffered from this ongoing incident.
Mk. “Japanese Soldiers’ Diaries.” The Nanking Massacre, 7 July 2015,
thenankingmassacre.org/2015/07/04/japanese-soldiers-diaries/.
In the article describing Japanese soldiers’ experiences during the massacre, it described how psychologically scarring the incident was for many of the Japanese soldiers after what they were ordered to do to their Chinese prisoners. These accounts show how during this time period, the soldiers thought nothing of their death toll because it was an order from their superiors and later recounted their “triumphs” with regret and sorrow. Some soldiers felt that they were not fully aware of differentiating between right and wrong during this time period and that these killings were a part of war. Others at this time enjoyed what they were doing during the rape of Nanking, and source Ono Kenji describes then war veterans using “Chankoro” as a derogatory adjective to Chinese people they were killing and felt no remorse while others did, as shown in the interviews with war veterans in this article.
“The Rape of Nanking 1937-1938 300,000 Deaths.” The History Place - Genocide in the 20th Century: Rape of Nanking 1937-38, www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/nanking.htm.
The History Place, in this article, talks about the overall summary of events involving the rape of Nanking. This recounts that Japanese soldiers had orders to kill as many Chinese as they could and some used this opportunity for sport. This article harshly views the Japanese as shown in their word choice, such as talking of how many Japanese soldiers enjoyed killing the Chinese and took pictures with their conquests. It is also in chronological order describing the horrific events that happened to the Chinese, as well as what they had to do such as Chinese men being forced to rape their own female family members. In conclusion, this article describes what the Japanese and Chinese did before, during, and after the rape of Nanking and shortens the story for better utilization for students and readers in terms of comprehending the events that occurred.
Mk. “Posts about diary on The Nanking Massacre.” The Nanking Massacre, thenankingmassacre.org/tag/diary/.
This article displays the diary accounts of the rape of Nanking as it was happening, from heroes such as Minnie Vautrin, John Rabe and others. They talk in their diary entries in chronological order of the events that occur as they were seeing it at the time. Some entries describe what the Japanese soldiers or Chinese were doing that day or in general during the event. Many of the people’s diaries say that the raping and killing was still going on and that Japanese soldiers promised protection but were hurting more people than they were “protecting”. In general, these diary entries show what other people thought of the event that were not Chinese or Japanese to offer other points of view in this context and their horror in response to the Japanese’s actions towards the Chinese people of Nanking.