The Japanese units learned of the Chinese retreat on December 13th, which leads to skirmished and ultimately surrender by many Chinese soldiers. The attack on Nanking appears out of control from the start with glory-hungry units leading the charge, which can be compared to the sack of Carthage by the Romans.
The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, occurred during the Second Sino-Japanese War when Japanese soldiers brutally killed, raped, and tortured the Chinese citizens of Nanking (now known as Nanjing). Chinese historian Sun Zha Wei describes the massacre as involving mass and sporadic killings, torture, and burning of victims to death.
This podcast episode talks about the importance of highlighting the atrocities in the Nanjing Massacre as it sheds light on the brutalities experienced by the Chinese during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It also discusses how war atrocities can shape the perception of good versus evil in conflicts between nations and how propaganda can exacerbate these perceptions.
During World War II, the Japanese would launch Banzai attacks at night, where thousands of soldiers would swarm the American front lines, often using brutal and medieval tactics such as sword wielding and hacking to death wounded Americans who couldn't escape.
During WWII, the Japanese emperor was a kid and so Prime Minister Toto took charge and sent soldiers to different places. In this podcast episode, they discuss his role and a conversation with American soldiers who were taken as POWs.
This episode of Behind the Bastards provides a glimpse into the horrors of the Japanese forced labor system during the World War II era, where hundreds of thousands were forced to work in inhumane conditions, leading to deaths that often went unrecorded and were subsequently forgotten.