The Second Sino Japanese War - Japanese Atrocities Against the Chinese The Second Sino Japanese War was one of great importance for the world as a whole. It is said to have been fought from 1937 till 1945 but many argue that this strife was much longer than those dates would imply. Not only did this war largely impact relations between Japan and China, but it made public many of the atrocities that the Japanese committed against the Chinese. While these atrocities had been ongoing for decades, if not centuries, the rest of the world only found out around this time period. While some action by other countries was taken in hopes of stopping these inhumane and morally wrong abominations from continuing, the extent of the damage had already been
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This code forms much of the Japanese opinion on battle morals and ethics. While this, to them, may be the way to do things, the majority of the rest of the world disagrees and therefore the actions committed based upon this code are deemed as crude and evil. The Bushido code gives the victor of a battle complete and absolute power over any “captured or conquered” people as surrender is viewed as considerably more dishonorable than death (Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). Death in battle is viewed as glorious under Bushido code while surrender or a loss is attributed to weakness and a failure to their respective nation. While this may be how their culture worked, the Chinese did not have this culture and so by trying to force them to abide by Japan’s moral code they were not only trying to change but to completely demolish the culture of China. Bushido code is credited with many heinous crimes performed by the Japanese as they often treated their prisoners of war extremely poorly; many POWs died of disease, starvation, abuse, neglect, unethical experiments, enslavement, and even outright rape and murder (Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). Examples of these atrocities by the Japanese are numerous, some as well known as the Rape of Nanking while others not as well known such as the comfort-women of the Japanese. The Rape of Nanking began in December of 1937 and has become one of the most talked about Genocides, aside from the Holocaust. Over a period of 6 short weeks, mass killings of Chinese soldiers, civilians, and even infants through of murder, rape, torture, being buried alive, beheading, and even biological warfare were used(Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). The Japanese are said to have raped thousands of women, historians argue 20,000 while others 80,000, and totaling the killing to almost 300,000.
This code forms much of the Japanese opinion on battle morals and ethics. While this, to them, may be the way to do things, the majority of the rest of the world disagrees and therefore the actions committed based upon this code are deemed as crude and evil. The Bushido code gives the victor of a battle complete and absolute power over any “captured or conquered” people as surrender is viewed as considerably more dishonorable than death (Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). Death in battle is viewed as glorious under Bushido code while surrender or a loss is attributed to weakness and a failure to their respective nation. While this may be how their culture worked, the Chinese did not have this culture and so by trying to force them to abide by Japan’s moral code they were not only trying to change but to completely demolish the culture of China. Bushido code is credited with many heinous crimes performed by the Japanese as they often treated their prisoners of war extremely poorly; many POWs died of disease, starvation, abuse, neglect, unethical experiments, enslavement, and even outright rape and murder (Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). Examples of these atrocities by the Japanese are numerous, some as well known as the Rape of Nanking while others not as well known such as the comfort-women of the Japanese. The Rape of Nanking began in December of 1937 and has become one of the most talked about Genocides, aside from the Holocaust. Over a period of 6 short weeks, mass killings of Chinese soldiers, civilians, and even infants through of murder, rape, torture, being buried alive, beheading, and even biological warfare were used(Axelrod, “Japanese Atrocities during World War II”). The Japanese are said to have raped thousands of women, historians argue 20,000 while others 80,000, and totaling the killing to almost 300,000.