Status Updates From The Rape of Nanking: The Fo...

The author keeps comparing these atrocities to the Holocaust and contemplating why we know so much about the Holocaust and so little about The Rape of Nanking. In addition to her thoughts, I can’t help but wonder, what if historians (typically men, historically) simply do not care much about women being raped.

- about half the population of Nanking had left before the Japanese arrived. Those who stayed were most likely too old, young, sick, or poor to leave. There were a few who were excited about the Japanese arriving

- the Japanese were relentless. There were killing contests, torture, rapes, and it was estimated the the death toll was near 300,000+

halfway through the introduction and already clutching my head in despair, rage and frustration at everything that is wrong with the world since time immemorial

Gosh I shouldn’t read this before bed. Content warning: violence.

“soldiers impaled babies on bayonets and tossed them still alive into pots of boiling water.”

And the Yangtze river literally ran red with blood…

- Nanking is a city with a a lot of history and has been invaded 3 times. (6th century, 1853 by taping rebels, 1937 by Japan)
- August fighting starts in Shanghai and end of month it falls to Japan
- Nanking falls and leader of nationalists Chiang Kai-shek leaves Tang Sheng-chich in charge of defense in November
- govt officials moved west and by DEC 90,000 troops moved to Nanking for defense

"Another time, when she saw a boy wearing an armband with the Japanese symbol of the “Rising Sun” to ensure his safety, Vaultrin scolded him and said: 'You do not need to wear this Rising Sun emblem. You are Chinese, and your country has not perished. You should remember the day you wore this thing, and you should never forget.' ”