The fact that certain extremely harmful historical events are virtually unknown beyond the scenes of their happening is odd indeed. The Nanjing Massacre is a vivid case. It was fought in China, during the World War II.
When the Japanese Army seized Nanjing in December 1937 the city turned into a sphere of unadulterated horror that lasted approximately six weeks. It was no engagement with soldiers, but the planned assault of civilians not at war.
The death toll is shocking. Scholars tend to estimate it at 100,000 and 300,000. People who were killed were citizens, and Chinese soldiers who had put their weapons down. They were killed in the most inhumane ways, most of them were shot, others were used in some horrific medical experiments, and their lives were thrown in the river like garbage.
Also widespread sexual violence took place. Approximately, 20,000 females and young girls were raped, and mostly in gangs of men. A good number of these women were killed right after the attacks.
Why not the general knowledge of this hideous tale? Following the war the United States wanted Japan to become a friend in its war against the Soviet Union and therefore it did not vehemently pressurize in publicizing all the crimes. The war in Europe also attracted more attention of people. Shamefully, even nowadays, there are individuals in Japan who are trying to conceal the entire reality of the events. This was a colossal loss of lives and we should not forget.
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