Genocide Essay Introduction

Most, if not all, of the bystanders during the Rape of Nanking were western missionaries that happened to be in China at that time.

Among them were doctors, a filmmaker, and even a Nazi.

The Japanese soldiers gathered thousands of Chinese women and forced them to live in barracks while being raped on a daily basis.

They raped women of all ages, from little girls whom they cut due to their pre-pubescent age to old women into their 80’s (A&E).

The term genocide was not coined until 1943 when Raphael Lamkin used it to describe the Nazi reign in Europe (ROD notes).

Genocide refers to the systematic destruction of a racial or cultural group.The largest group of those unfortunately selected, was the Jews.They were killed in masses and tortured through experimentation.Those who were barricaded in the death camps were deprived of food and proper hygiene which caused the spread of many diseases and eventually more deaths.The carnage that took place at both Nanking and during the Holocaust was due to the horrible crimes that were committed.Many more crimes were committed during these eight tragic weeks.The crimes that were committed during the Holocaust partially resemble the atrocities at Nanking.After Nanking the Tokyo War Crime Trial took place, but did not serve justice. There were seven “A class” criminals that were hung, and General Matsui was also killed.Some others spent a few years in jail and then were left to continue with their lives.In fact, the man actually responsible for the crimes committed at Nanking, Prince Yusuhiko Asaka, was never even prosecuted for his role.The Nuremburg trials were held at the summation of the Holocaust (A&E).