Time Line of Events
1928- The Japanese are hungry for power and start their plans to take over China
1937- The battle of Shanghai occurs
November 11, 1937-The Japanese advance to Nanking
December 7th, 1937-The command is given to take over Nanking
December 13th, 1937- Break through the walls of Nanking
December 14th, 1937- Japanese soldiers search the city of Nanking
December 16, 1937- The mass rapes and killings start to increasingly occur
December 17, 1937- A huge mass grave is created
January 17, 1938- The Japanese-American embassy intervenes
February 1938- All bodies are burried
August 8, 1945- The USSR intervenes
September 2, 1945- The Japanese are forced into unconditional surrender
1937- The battle of Shanghai occurs
November 11, 1937-The Japanese advance to Nanking
December 7th, 1937-The command is given to take over Nanking
December 13th, 1937- Break through the walls of Nanking
December 14th, 1937- Japanese soldiers search the city of Nanking
December 16, 1937- The mass rapes and killings start to increasingly occur
December 17, 1937- A huge mass grave is created
January 17, 1938- The Japanese-American embassy intervenes
February 1938- All bodies are burried
August 8, 1945- The USSR intervenes
September 2, 1945- The Japanese are forced into unconditional surrender
How did the Genocide end ?
The genocide came to a halt when the Japanese embassy in America got wind of what was happening in China. The Soviet Union then declared war on Japan after the United States dropped a bomb on Japan. The Soviet Union then liberates cities that had been taken over by Japan. Life began to return to the city, and its population eventually came back up to 700,000. In August 1945, The Second World War was over.
Propaganda
During this war no propaganda was used because the Japanese wanted to keep this genocide a 'secret'. To this day the people and families who suffered through this still have not received an apology from the Japanese and the disaster is still not recognizedat all. The Japanese deny that it ever even happened.
After Math
A conscious attempt has been made by "revisionists" in Japan to deny or downplay the involvement of the Japanese military in massive atrocities during World War II. In September 1986 Fujio Masayuki, said that the rape of Nanking was just a part of war. In 1946 war-crimes trials were held in Nanjing. But only a few Japanese war criminals were tried. Tani Hisao, a commander of the 6th Division which had committed many atrocities in Nanjing was sentenced to death in March 1947. The International Military Tribunal for the Far East tried nearly 30 key Japanese commanders, including Matsui Iwane, commander of the Central China Expeditionary Force. Many of the major leaders have served as the scapegoats for people to blame the Rape of Nanking on. General Yanagawa Heisuke and Lieut. General Nakajima Kesago, two of the main Japanese field commanders in charge of the occupation of Nanjing died of natural causes in 1945. The Japanese 'royal' family, including Emperor Hirohito and Prince Asaka, received immunity against any charges and got off with not even one trial. In Nanjing they now have a memorial for all of the families and loved ones to visit to honor all of their family and friends who had to die in this tragic genocide.