World War II was the most destructive and ubiquitous war in history so far. The war cost many human lives with the number of casualties totaling to about 50 million military combatants and civilians killed. The Allied nations, led by Britain (as well as its Commonwealth nations), the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the United States of America, fought their main adversary, the Axis nations, which are, but not limited to, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan and other allies. The war lasted for six years from 1939 to 1945. World War II was a struggle that was driven by clashing ideals of nationalism between the primary opponents. The years leading up to the declaration of war between the Axis and Allied powers in 1939 were very
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The actual invasion of Nanking was preceded by a tough battle at Shanghai that began in the summer of 1937. The Japanese expected an easy victory, but the Chinese troops were resilient and their stubborn resistance upset Japan’s timetable with the battle dragging on from summer to late fall. This angered the Japanese who had bragged they could conquer all of China in just three months and gave them a thirst for revenge which was to follow at Nanking. After defeating the Chinese troops in Shanghai, the Japanese soldiers marched to Nanking and unlike the Shanghai soldiers, the Nanking soldiers were loosely led and unorganized, while still outnumbering the Japanese and having a great amount of ammunition. Just after four days of fighting the Nanking soldiers withered under the Japanese army and the Japanese troops smashed the city with orders to “kill all captives.” The Japanese’s first concern was to kill the 90,000 Chinese soldiers who had surrendered. The Japanese thought of surrendering as the ultimate violation of military honor. The elimination began on the outskirts of Nanking where the young Japanese soldiers were encouraged to torture and kill the Chinese soldiers as a way to toughen them up for future battles. Other Chinese troops were gunned down by machine guns or soaked with gasoline and burned alive. After killing all of the Chinese soldiers the Japanese troops turned to the women of Nanking where a hunt ensued. Old women over 70 and little girls under the age of 8 were dragged off to be sexually abused. More than 20,000 women were raped then shot so that they could not bear witness. Pregnant women were not spared as well. They were raped then had their bellies slit open. Throughout the city of Nanking, random acts of murder were committed, shops were pillaged with the storekeepers killed, and houses were burned down. The Japanese soldiers took pleasure in all the suffering that ensued when
The actual invasion of Nanking was preceded by a tough battle at Shanghai that began in the summer of 1937. The Japanese expected an easy victory, but the Chinese troops were resilient and their stubborn resistance upset Japan’s timetable with the battle dragging on from summer to late fall. This angered the Japanese who had bragged they could conquer all of China in just three months and gave them a thirst for revenge which was to follow at Nanking. After defeating the Chinese troops in Shanghai, the Japanese soldiers marched to Nanking and unlike the Shanghai soldiers, the Nanking soldiers were loosely led and unorganized, while still outnumbering the Japanese and having a great amount of ammunition. Just after four days of fighting the Nanking soldiers withered under the Japanese army and the Japanese troops smashed the city with orders to “kill all captives.” The Japanese’s first concern was to kill the 90,000 Chinese soldiers who had surrendered. The Japanese thought of surrendering as the ultimate violation of military honor. The elimination began on the outskirts of Nanking where the young Japanese soldiers were encouraged to torture and kill the Chinese soldiers as a way to toughen them up for future battles. Other Chinese troops were gunned down by machine guns or soaked with gasoline and burned alive. After killing all of the Chinese soldiers the Japanese troops turned to the women of Nanking where a hunt ensued. Old women over 70 and little girls under the age of 8 were dragged off to be sexually abused. More than 20,000 women were raped then shot so that they could not bear witness. Pregnant women were not spared as well. They were raped then had their bellies slit open. Throughout the city of Nanking, random acts of murder were committed, shops were pillaged with the storekeepers killed, and houses were burned down. The Japanese soldiers took pleasure in all the suffering that ensued when