Relates an account of the 1937 massacre of 250,000 Chinese civilians in Nanking by the invading Japanese military, a carnage for which the Japanese government has never admitted responsibility.
Germany is today a better place because Jews have not allowed that country to forget what it did during World War II. The American South is a better place for its acknowledgment of the evil of slavery and the one hundred years of Jim Crowism that followed emancipation. Japanese culture will not move forward until it too admits not only to the world but to itself how improper were its actions during World War II.
Aching Memories: Revisiting Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking
Iris Chang’s The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II isn’t just a book; it’s a visceral experience. Reading it, decades after its publication, the weight of the atrocities committed during the six-week siege of Nanking in 1937 remains profoundly unsettling. I approached this re-reading with a sense of both anticipation and trepidation – anticipation for the power of Chang’s prose, and trepidation for the emotional toll the sheer brutality of the events would inevitably take.
Chang doesn’t shy away from the horrific details. She meticulously documents the systematic rape, murder, and torture inflicted upon hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens by the invading Japanese Imperial Army. The sheer scale of the barbarity is almost incomprehensible. The narrative weaves together eyewitness accounts, official documents, and painstaking research, creating a tapestry of suffering that is both meticulously detailed and utterly devastating. The stories of individual victims, their resilience, and their despair, resonate with a stark, unrelenting power. These aren’t just numbers on a page; they are individuals, families, lives violently extinguished.
What struck me most forcefully on this rereading was the enduring relevance of Chang’s work. While the events took place decades ago, the book serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked militarism, the devastating consequences of unchecked hatred, and the critical importance of remembering history, lest it repeat itself. The deliberate erasure of this atrocity from public memory for so long underscores the gravity of the crime and the importance of confronting uncomfortable truths. As Chang herself writes:
“The Rape of Nanking was not merely a military campaign but a crime against humanity. It represents the most extreme manifestation of evil in the 20th century.”
Chang’s writing is powerful and effective because of its unflinching honesty. She doesn’t shy away from the graphic nature of the events, but neither does she sensationalize them. The narrative feels restrained, almost clinical at times, making the impact of the events even more profound. This approach allows the reader to grapple with the enormity of the atrocities without being overwhelmed by gratuitous descriptions. The focus remains squarely on the victims and their suffering.
Reading The Rape of Nanking is a challenging but ultimately essential undertaking. It is a book that demands to be read, discussed, and remembered. It is a testament to the importance of historical accuracy, the power of individual voices, and the enduring necessity of confronting the darkest chapters of human history. It is a book that stays with you long after you turn the final page, a constant reminder of the fragility of peace and the enduring strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable horror. It is, in short, a masterpiece of historical narrative and a powerful call for remembrance and justice.