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Question: How does the Rape of Nanking tie into the broader time period of WWII!? issues of 30's and 40"s!?
The Rape of Nanking was a war crime committed by Japanese soldiers!. It started in December 1937 and lasted about 6 weeks!. During this time, more than 300,000 Chinese civillians were systematically raped, tortured, and murdered!. During WWII, The Holocaust of the Jewish people happened as well, but not until after the Rape of Nanking!. The Holocaust lasted years, but the Rape of Nanking was only 6 weeks and yet so many atrocious rapes, tortures, and murders!. During WWII, the U!.S!. claimed that point of war was to save the world from atrocities!.Why then did the U!.S!. not help their own ally, China, when fully aware of the Rape of Nanking!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
In 1937 The US was not at war with Japan, and so was not in a position to do anything to stop the rape!. After the Japanese invastion of Manchuria in 1933 American sympathy lay with China, and the US government's policies were aimed at discouraging Japanese expansion, but there was no interest in risking outright war!. also, it did take time for reliable reports to filter through!. People exagerate for many reasons in wartime, and it took a lot of verifying to determine that Nanking was actually worse than some of the reports that made it out!. And even when such reports were made public, dont forget that the sensibilities of the time would have required newspapers or other media to use enough euphamisms that the true horror was diluted!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
I think that you are wrong that the US was fully aware of what was happening in Nanking!. It was only towards the end of the massacre that western journalists were able to send cables about the atrocities!.!.!. remember that communications from Japan and China weren't very good back then!.
In terms of how it ties into the broader time period of WWII, when the West heard about the atrocities they started to think of the Japanese as evil, and all of that culminated in the declaration of war after Pearl Harbor!.Www@QuestionHome@Com
Countries choose not to get involved in other countries affairs because they believe that it is none of their business plus the want to avoid violence, war and whatever if possible because it is costly!. They also think it is not their responsibility!. For example, there is a genocide going down in Darfur!. Many people are being tortured, raped and killed there but nothing has been done!. And it is still going on at this moment!.Www@QuestionHome@Com