The Nanking Massacre was an episode of mass murder and mass rape committed by Japanese troops against residents of Nanjing during the Second Sino – Japanese War.
There are no official numbers, but according to some estimates, the Japanese killed between 200,000 and 300,000 civilians. Soon after the war, General Matsui Iwane was tired and convicted for war crimes by the International Military Tribune for the Far East. He was executed.
The true nature of the massacre has been disputed and exploited for propaganda by both sides. The massacre began on December 13, when the first troops of the Japanese army entered the city. They left the city in late January. Even elderly people and infants were targeted for execution, while women were raped. Bodies littered the streets for months after the attack.
Back then, Nanjing was the capital of Republic of China and the Japanese were determined to destroy the city. They burned one-third of the buildings in Nanking. They initially agreed to respect the Safety zone, but even refugees were not safe from the attacks. In January 1938, the Japanese declared that order had been restored in the city.
In 2009, Ted Leonsis, filmed a documentary about the Nanking massacre. He won News and Documentary Emmy Award for the movie.
