They were civilians, unarmed and defenseless, and many of them were put through unimaginable hell before they were killed. They fought hard, in the end losing as many as 20 million lives (the second most of any country involved in the war) to keep the Japanese Empire from conquering much of East Asia and the Pacific.Īnd as many as 17 million Chinese casualties weren’t soldiers. While Europe was struggling to hold off the Nazi war machine, China was fending off the Japanese invasion that first launched in late 1937. But, all too often, when an atrocity has happened on the other side, we don’t hear much about it.Īlongside all the catastrophes that plagued Europe during World War II, the atrocities committed in Southeast Asia were every bit as disturbing - even if most of us in the West hardly ever learn about them in school.Īnd few of the atrocities committed in Asia during World War II were as terrible as the Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking.
We know all about the horrors that have happened on our side of the world.
