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Undoubtedly one of the most disturbing war crimes of recent history. Some of the stuff is hard to even read let alone imagine
Original post by bertstare
Undoubtedly one of the most disturbing war crimes of recent history. Some of the stuff is hard to even read let alone imagine


What it appears to me is that when people say the Japanese military must have lacked discipline to commit such crimes, they do not understand total war. Rape (as perverse as it sounds) is a very useful weapon and can induce a servile state (not always). Also, there was the element of who was going to stop them? As in many ways the massacre and its effect on the Chinese Nationalists could be very useful to other nations.
Original post by openupandblazein
What it appears to me is that when people say the Japanese military must have lacked discipline to commit such crimes, they do not understand total war.

What do they intend such explanation for? Because personally I'm not sure which one is worse: An army that executes the command of extermination, or an army that suffers lack of morale and kills everyone in a horrific manner just for fun.

Original post by openupandblazein

Rape (as perverse as it sounds) is a very useful weapon and can induce a servile state (not always).

Correct, but often it can makes people just more angry or desperate, so they fight because choosing a manner of death is the only way to do something with free will. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising is a good example. The Warsaw Uprising, not so good, rather an example of stupidity and insubordination, made by small percentage of city citizens.

Original post by bertstare
Undoubtedly one of the most disturbing war crimes of recent history. Some of the stuff is hard to even read let alone imagine


I must say it does not impress me. Perhaps because I'm used to read about things such as these since I was a kid. However my family went through the war quite well. Two civilian family members almost killed by aerial bombs in 1939, one forced labour, one selected for forced germanization, one house damaged in a terrorist air raid, one robbed by the Red Army, one branch of the family completely vanished without any news. Not bad since more than a half of population in my hometown were killed.
Reply 5
This is a good discussion topic.
Reply 6
It was a disgusting war crime. Equally disturbing is the current Japanese governments attempts to minimize it
Original post by openupandblazein

Was it just a natural part of war, eg the Japanese army letting off some of the pressures of war?


Rape is awful and no it should never be a natural part of anything. Can't believe anyone would ever do that, sick people!!!
Original post by leedswest
Rape is awful and no it should never be a natural part of anything. Can't believe anyone would ever do that, sick people!!!


Well most wars involve rape, so maybe it often comes with the territory?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by Aj12
It was a disgusting war crime. Equally disturbing is the current Japanese governments attempts to minimize it


I think one of the things was who was going to stop the Japanese Army? After all, they had beaten everyone so far. The Soviet Union only really defeated them in the border skirmishes as a result of Zhukov and that was later. The Chinese Army was a paper force easily pushed aside. In many ways the Japanese Army won, as most of those involved in Nanking went free. Maybe we cannot put our concept of war crimes onto the Sino-Japanese war and to do so is anachronistic?
Original post by thelegendkiller1
Well most wars involve rape, so maybe it often comes with the territory?


No. Cutting open children's vaginas so that they can be raped, by multiple men does not "come with the territory".

I would rather just be shot dead than have that happen to me.
I fully understand that hating and killing the enemy comes with war, but only straight killing, why mutilation? If I was a solider at war with somebody I could only kill the enemy, never do something like that.
It's utterly vile, and as has already been pointed out, the Japanese are disgustingly unapologetic about it.
Original post by openupandblazein
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanking_Massacre#Rape

How awful was the rape of Nanking. Has it been exaggerated. Was it just a natural part of war, eg the Japanese army letting off some of the pressures of war? Are we suprised that it occurred? Should those who participated if they are still alive face criminal proceedings. Did anyone see it coming?

I ask these questions as it is still an issue that resonates today.


I read a few lines of that section and felt physically sick afterwards. No, I don't think it was the Japanese army letting off some of the pressures of war. They were bloody insane during the war and bloodthirsty too. But I can never comprehend as to how and why they did that to so many people. It's probably the most horrific war crime that I've ever learned of. The Japanese soldiers knew what they were doing.

In my opinion, because the Japanese government hasn't apologised for the war crimes they probably feel deep shame for what the Japanese soldiers did during the war in the Nanking massacre. Being part Chinese myself, I would never blame the younger generations for what their ancestors did during the war. I can understand my Chinese members' hatred towards the Japanese soldiers who took part in the massacres and raping, but not their hatred towards the younger generations too. I would blame those who took part in it; and yes, I do believe that those still alive should face criminal proceedings and convictions.

For me, it's very hard to comprehend how the Japanese soldiers were so brutal and bloodthirsty during the war. Reading that article on Wikipedia makes me cry. I just cannot understand how they could be so cold and kill all of these people so brutally and cruelly without feeling remorse.
The 'killing contest' was probably one of the most horrific things I have read about.
A disgusting war crime that should never be tolerated or made to seem like it was inevitable or an okay thing to do because it was war. Anyone who thinks that is sick and disgusting, and they should try getting raped and mutilated themselves if it's so ****ing okay.
Original post by SophieSmall
A disgusting war crime that should never be tolerated or made to seem like it was inevitable or an okay thing to do because it was war. Anyone who thinks that is sick and disgusting, and they should try getting raped and mutilated themselves if it's so ****ing okay.


The majority of those involved got off freely. And so did these people. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731 So maybe the Hiroshima and Nagasaki were ruled as enough punishment for Japan? We need to be careful of judging past events with present eyes. I am not saying that makes them ok, simply that it was a more complicated situation that it first appears.
Original post by leedswest
I fully understand that hating and killing the enemy comes with war, but only straight killing, why mutilation? If I was a solider at war with somebody I could only kill the enemy, never do something like that.


Maybe they wanted to humiliate China. Remember that to the Japanese Army, the Chinese were mongrels. What do you think of this by the way, as it is related in a way http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731?
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by bertstare
Undoubtedly one of the most disturbing war crimes of recent history. Some of the stuff is hard to even read let alone imagine


What about this? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731 Also, would you say that those involved should still be punished or not?
Original post by silentshadows
The 'killing contest' was probably one of the most horrific things I have read about.


I do not think anyone was tried for it and I think that most of the people involved in the Rape of Nanking escaped without punishment. So maybe contemporaries accepted the Rape of Nanking as part of war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731 This is also very interesting by the way.

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