When people talk about the Pacific Theater of WWII, Japanese brutality in China is often a main subject of discussion. However, I do not think that I have ever seen it so explicitly and thoroughly described. I think the accounts in this chapter go far beyond what we are taught in school or see on History Channel, etc. The sheer inhumanity of the Japanese soldiers is revolting. I also found it ridiculous that the Japanese citizens in Japan supported this. In particular, I found the news article about the "Race to 100" hard to believe. It could be seen as China's Holocaust, as thirty million people were killed because they were "in the way" or other various reasons that aren't really reasons at all. Also, I find it unbelievable that nobody in the Japanese general public knew about the literal "Rape of China". It's unthinkable that in a populace of tens of millions of people, not a singe one escaped the governments control of the media and found out the truth about these "Spirit Warriors". I really think that this should be a major area of discussion in history classes, U.S. and Global Studies alike.
I agree that these historical facts should be brought to light in classrooms across the world. The best way to move forward is to acknowledge the faults of the past. It is interesting how some mass killings in history have been largely ignored, while others are continually discussed. We forget that 30 million Chinese died in this "Rape" or that 15-20 million Russians died in WWII. Why is that? It goes to show what we choose to care about.
The brutality that the Chinese experienced is parallel to the Holocaust. I am also surprised that it is barely studied in classrooms. Such horrific events should be studied countless times inorder to prevent such things from occuring again. However, shis is another example of how the government misinformed the public about a current event, and how it escalated into a civil rights violation.
Veronica, would you say this brutality was equal to that of the holocaust? I agree that it was a horrific event, but I believe there is a reason the rape of China is not taught as much in school. That reason being that war is inherently brutal, and although horrific events like this should not happen, they happen all around the world everywhere there is war. Furthermore, these events of particular brutality are so prevalent that it would be impossible to discuss all of them within a school year.
"The Rape of China" was horrifying to say the least. It is simple to acknowledge that the Japanese soldiers were brutal to the Chinese, but the extent of the barbarity is alarming. I now understand the crimes the Japanese military committed, but I still don't understand why. What was the precipitating factor? Why did the Japanese soldiers turn to total, mindless brutalizing? If I did not know what I know now, judging by the history of Japanese ingenuity and warfare, I would take them to be a capable fighting force. But that wasn't the case evidently, as they didn't send food to their troops and allowed chaos to rule the day. A "Three Month conflict" does not turn into eight years without someone noticing fault. Additionally, I was shook up by the personal accounts of rapes and killings. Through all of the history that I've studied, I still can not comprehend how people can turn to such horrendous activities as the Japanese of the 1930s or Nazis. That being said, I realize that it really is a matter of time and place. Anyone can be vulnerable to horrendous occupations in certain circumstances.
I feel like Japanese officials sending in troops without food may seem like poor planning. However they did tell their troops that any food they find they can take. It also shows the Japanese war mentality. They do not care about the individual soldier, they only care about the cause as a whole
While I agree that their allowing chaos to reign was not the right way, I would argue that they were still an effective fighting force. The Chinese lived in fear of the Japanese for eight years. This, I think, makes the Japanese effective, because the Chinese would be more willing to concede to any Japanese demands for fear of losing even more citizens. You do make a good point though that the three months turning to eight years shows massive flaws in the Japanese military system.
Japans brutality towards the Chinese was horrific. No humans should be treated this way no matter the circumstances. However Japans belief that they were the ultimate race definitly justified their literal "Rape of China". Also after reading the previous chapters I somehow understand why the Japense were so horrible to the Chinese. Due to how the Japense school system was run the Japenese certainly felt that they could destroy the Chinese just as they had been destroyed in their schooling. Japense brutality stemmed from the brutality they were treated with back home. Higher ranking officials were allowed to belittle the lower ranking cadets. Thus the Japense felt that they since they were supreme to the Chinese they could brutalize them mercilessly. However the conditions the soldiers were placed under played a role in their treatment of the Chinese. They had no food, and thus were surviving merely on instict. Their main goal was to survive, not to aid the Chinese.
It seemed strange that since the Japanese were waging a "holy" war, that they would allow the widespread rape that happened in China. It seemed that Bradley began to say that the Spirit Warriors would end the constant rapes by the soldiers. However, Bradley showed the complete disregard for human life by the Japanese. They did want the raping of any and all women to stop. But only because they did not want to treat soldiers with STDs. Their solution was even more degrading than the previous actions. The "comfort stations" seem to be degrading beyond imagination. Another thought I have had when reading about both rapes by the Japanese and Nazis was the ideology of World War Two. If they think they are superior to their enemies, why would they want to rape anyone they see. It seems that their "natural desires" overpowered their nations ideals.
Reading your post and remembering this chapter I just kept trying to answer the question - how? I think a major aspect of this was the fact that the Japanese were able to dehumanize the Chinese. It amazes me how brutal soldiers cab be to a group of innocent people as discussed by Bradley. When soldiers brutalize women, chop of heads of innocent elders and massacre villages it often appears to be in situations when that group felt superior and were able to look at those innocent people as lesser beings.
I regret reading this chapter right before bed. The Chinese truly suffered horribly at the hands of Japanese soldiers as is evident in this extremely gruesome chapter. Yet again, I was enlightened to an era of history I never knew existed. I was very shocked at how easy it was for Japanese soldiers to commit such atrocious behavior. These actions truly speak to the power of indoctrination and how vital ones upbringing is in regards to their development as people. The only reason any of this seems believable to me is because of my new found knowledge of the Japanese education system. I can not imagine what it would be like to be taught in school that another race was "the devil." I was further appalled by how indiscriminantly Japanese soldiers would rape the Chinese. It seemed that not even children were spared the horrors of war. This chapter also discusses how a well supplied army is vital to success. It amazes me that Japanese generals would place so much faith in China to have adequate resources to supply Japanese troops. This we know was not the case as Japanese troops resorted to cannibalism in order to stay alive.
I agree entirely with your horror at the system of education that was present in Japan at this time, but I think we must examine the education systems of other nations as well as ours in past eras before we point fingers. American's have committed similar acts towards Native Americans and those residing in Latin American nations due to an instilled sense of nationalism. This, to me, is the truly frightening aspect of nationalism- that it can be twisted for such vulgar purposes. After all, many have allowed themselves to justify horrendous violations of rights because they believed in their superiority.
After reading this chapter I was appalled to say the least. While I've heard of Japanese brutality to the Chinese, I feel that reading about it in such an explicit manner was much more riveting than the accounts we've heard in movies or textbooks. I was completely taken aback by the intense nature of the Japanese violations against the Chinese. Reading this account, though, illuminated some of the reasons why the Germans were allies with the Japanese. Both nations were sadistic in their actions and inhumane brutalities against others. I had always wondered why Germany would have chosen Japan as an ally but after reading this chapter I understand the relationship much more clearly. Both spent years building their youth into warriors who were, seemingly, built without a conscious. While I found it horrific to read what the Japanese done, I also found it explanatory- it makes sense that Germany and Japan would have been allies since they both found it seemingly pleasurable to mutilate other nations and people.
I also agree that reading the explicit material was a lot more intense than what we read in school or see in movies. The ally between Germany and Japan also makes more sense after this chapter. I didn't think much of this before reading. Also, I think the Japanese violated the Chinese human rights. If it were American citizens, a lot more would've been done to prevent these type of actions
I truly believe this chapter tells us the most about Japanese brutality. Compared to what we learn in school, the force of the Japanese was extremely strong. They were a nation that would fight and not take defeat. In other words, I'm almost disgusted by the treatment of the Japanese toward Chinese. The Chinese truly suffered and were stripped of their human rights. Although the Japanese acted this way, they wanted to survive and needed food. Neither country were in very good hands. I realize now why my grandfather said many war veterans never viewed the Japanese the same again after their experiences overseas. If the rest of the story is like this chapter, it will be a very difficult book to read. The fact that the Japanese soldiers were forced with cannibalism in order to survive prove how awful the conditions and events were during WWII.
It's scary to think that your grandfather experienced some of these events first hand because they were truly brutal acts against humanity. I agree that the book will be hard to read if it continues on this way. The horrors revealed in this chapter was a lot to mull over.
This chapter revealed just how brutal the Japanese were to the Chinese, making the title of the chapter appropriate in some ways. This chapter was hard to read in some parts because of the explicit images that were put into my head. The acts the Japanese performed on the Chinese were absolutely horrible. It was saddening to read that Masato Kawana's "test of courage" was stabbing live Chinese prisoners in the heart with the goal of keeping them alive as long as possible. However this seemed to have been the norm at this time, which I find appalling. This brutality is not shown in text books, nor is most of what I've read so far in the book, which I enjoy because it lets us learn something new and informative about a crucial time in world history.
When people talk about the Pacific Theater of WWII, Japanese brutality in China is often a main subject of discussion. However, I do not think that I have ever seen it so explicitly and thoroughly described. I think the accounts in this chapter go far beyond what we are taught in school or see on History Channel, etc. The sheer inhumanity of the Japanese soldiers is revolting. I also found it ridiculous that the Japanese citizens in Japan supported this. In particular, I found the news article about the "Race to 100" hard to believe. It could be seen as China's Holocaust, as thirty million people were killed because they were "in the way" or other various reasons that aren't really reasons at all. Also, I find it unbelievable that nobody in the Japanese general public knew about the literal "Rape of China". It's unthinkable that in a populace of tens of millions of people, not a singe one escaped the governments control of the media and found out the truth about these "Spirit Warriors". I really think that this should be a major area of discussion in history classes, U.S. and Global Studies alike.
ReplyDeleteI agree that these historical facts should be brought to light in classrooms across the world. The best way to move forward is to acknowledge the faults of the past. It is interesting how some mass killings in history have been largely ignored, while others are continually discussed. We forget that 30 million Chinese died in this "Rape" or that 15-20 million Russians died in WWII. Why is that? It goes to show what we choose to care about.
DeleteThe brutality that the Chinese experienced is parallel to the Holocaust. I am also surprised that it is barely studied in classrooms. Such horrific events should be studied countless times inorder to prevent such things from occuring again. However, shis is another example of how the government misinformed the public about a current event, and how it escalated into a civil rights violation.
DeleteVeronica, would you say this brutality was equal to that of the holocaust? I agree that it was a horrific event, but I believe there is a reason the rape of China is not taught as much in school. That reason being that war is inherently brutal, and although horrific events like this should not happen, they happen all around the world everywhere there is war. Furthermore, these events of particular brutality are so prevalent that it would be impossible to discuss all of them within a school year.
Delete"The Rape of China" was horrifying to say the least. It is simple to acknowledge that the Japanese soldiers were brutal to the Chinese, but the extent of the barbarity is alarming. I now understand the crimes the Japanese military committed, but I still don't understand why. What was the precipitating factor? Why did the Japanese soldiers turn to total, mindless brutalizing? If I did not know what I know now, judging by the history of Japanese ingenuity and warfare, I would take them to be a capable fighting force. But that wasn't the case evidently, as they didn't send food to their troops and allowed chaos to rule the day. A "Three Month conflict" does not turn into eight years without someone noticing fault. Additionally, I was shook up by the personal accounts of rapes and killings. Through all of the history that I've studied, I still can not comprehend how people can turn to such horrendous activities as the Japanese of the 1930s or Nazis. That being said, I realize that it really is a matter of time and place. Anyone can be vulnerable to horrendous occupations in certain circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Japanese officials sending in troops without food may seem like poor planning. However they did tell their troops that any food they find they can take. It also shows the Japanese war mentality. They do not care about the individual soldier, they only care about the cause as a whole
DeleteWhile I agree that their allowing chaos to reign was not the right way, I would argue that they were still an effective fighting force. The Chinese lived in fear of the Japanese for eight years. This, I think, makes the Japanese effective, because the Chinese would be more willing to concede to any Japanese demands for fear of losing even more citizens. You do make a good point though that the three months turning to eight years shows massive flaws in the Japanese military system.
ReplyDeleteJapans brutality towards the Chinese was horrific. No humans should be treated this way no matter the circumstances. However Japans belief that they were the ultimate race definitly justified their literal "Rape of China". Also after reading the previous chapters I somehow understand why the Japense were so horrible to the Chinese. Due to how the Japense school system was run the Japenese certainly felt that they could destroy the Chinese just as they had been destroyed in their schooling. Japense brutality stemmed from the brutality they were treated with back home. Higher ranking officials were allowed to belittle the lower ranking cadets. Thus the Japense felt that they since they were supreme to the Chinese they could brutalize them mercilessly. However the conditions the soldiers were placed under played a role in their treatment of the Chinese. They had no food, and thus were surviving merely on instict. Their main goal was to survive, not to aid the Chinese.
ReplyDeleteIt seemed strange that since the Japanese were waging a "holy" war, that they would allow the widespread rape that happened in China. It seemed that Bradley began to say that the Spirit Warriors would end the constant rapes by the soldiers. However, Bradley showed the complete disregard for human life by the Japanese. They did want the raping of any and all women to stop. But only because they did not want to treat soldiers with STDs. Their solution was even more degrading than the previous actions. The "comfort stations" seem to be degrading beyond imagination. Another thought I have had when reading about both rapes by the Japanese and Nazis was the ideology of World War Two. If they think they are superior to their enemies, why would they want to rape anyone they see. It seems that their "natural desires" overpowered their nations ideals.
ReplyDeleteReading your post and remembering this chapter I just kept trying to answer the question - how? I think a major aspect of this was the fact that the Japanese were able to dehumanize the Chinese. It amazes me how brutal soldiers cab be to a group of innocent people as discussed by Bradley. When soldiers brutalize women, chop of heads of innocent elders and massacre villages it often appears to be in situations when that group felt superior and were able to look at those innocent people as lesser beings.
DeleteI regret reading this chapter right before bed. The Chinese truly suffered horribly at the hands of Japanese soldiers as is evident in this extremely gruesome chapter. Yet again, I was enlightened to an era of history I never knew existed. I was very shocked at how easy it was for Japanese soldiers to commit such atrocious behavior. These actions truly speak to the power of indoctrination and how vital ones upbringing is in regards to their development as people. The only reason any of this seems believable to me is because of my new found knowledge of the Japanese education system. I can not imagine what it would be like to be taught in school that another race was "the devil." I was further appalled by how indiscriminantly Japanese soldiers would rape the Chinese. It seemed that not even children were spared the horrors of war. This chapter also discusses how a well supplied army is vital to success. It amazes me that Japanese generals would place so much faith in China to have adequate resources to supply Japanese troops. This we know was not the case as Japanese troops resorted to cannibalism in order to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely with your horror at the system of education that was present in Japan at this time, but I think we must examine the education systems of other nations as well as ours in past eras before we point fingers. American's have committed similar acts towards Native Americans and those residing in Latin American nations due to an instilled sense of nationalism. This, to me, is the truly frightening aspect of nationalism- that it can be twisted for such vulgar purposes. After all, many have allowed themselves to justify horrendous violations of rights because they believed in their superiority.
DeleteAfter reading this chapter I was appalled to say the least. While I've heard of Japanese brutality to the Chinese, I feel that reading about it in such an explicit manner was much more riveting than the accounts we've heard in movies or textbooks. I was completely taken aback by the intense nature of the Japanese violations against the Chinese. Reading this account, though, illuminated some of the reasons why the Germans were allies with the Japanese. Both nations were sadistic in their actions and inhumane brutalities against others. I had always wondered why Germany would have chosen Japan as an ally but after reading this chapter I understand the relationship much more clearly. Both spent years building their youth into warriors who were, seemingly, built without a conscious. While I found it horrific to read what the Japanese done, I also found it explanatory- it makes sense that Germany and Japan would have been allies since they both found it seemingly pleasurable to mutilate other nations and people.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that reading the explicit material was a lot more intense than what we read in school or see in movies. The ally between Germany and Japan also makes more sense after this chapter. I didn't think much of this before reading. Also, I think the Japanese violated the Chinese human rights. If it were American citizens, a lot more would've been done to prevent these type of actions
DeleteI truly believe this chapter tells us the most about Japanese brutality. Compared to what we learn in school, the force of the Japanese was extremely strong. They were a nation that would fight and not take defeat. In other words, I'm almost disgusted by the treatment of the Japanese toward Chinese. The Chinese truly suffered and were stripped of their human rights. Although the Japanese acted this way, they wanted to survive and needed food. Neither country were in very good hands. I realize now why my grandfather said many war veterans never viewed the Japanese the same again after their experiences overseas. If the rest of the story is like this chapter, it will be a very difficult book to read. The fact that the Japanese soldiers were forced with cannibalism in order to survive prove how awful the conditions and events were during WWII.
ReplyDeleteIt's scary to think that your grandfather experienced some of these events first hand because they were truly brutal acts against humanity. I agree that the book will be hard to read if it continues on this way. The horrors revealed in this chapter was a lot to mull over.
DeleteThis chapter revealed just how brutal the Japanese were to the Chinese, making the title of the chapter appropriate in some ways. This chapter was hard to read in some parts because of the explicit images that were put into my head. The acts the Japanese performed on the Chinese were absolutely horrible. It was saddening to read that Masato Kawana's "test of courage" was stabbing live Chinese prisoners in the heart with the goal of keeping them alive as long as possible. However this seemed to have been the norm at this time, which I find appalling. This brutality is not shown in text books, nor is most of what I've read so far in the book, which I enjoy because it lets us learn something new and informative about a crucial time in world history.
ReplyDelete