Battles in 1937 from Shanghai to Nanjing
In the World War II, three million Japanese were killed.
You may think it is because the Imperial Japan's Military committed a crime called the "abuse of comfort women."
With a US Internet search engine, the keyword "comfort women" gives back 927,000 results.
With a Japanese Internet search engine, the keyword "Jyugun-Ianfu (comfort women)" gives back 103,000 results.
There are many Japanese and Japanese groups who are against Japanese Government's policy on handling the "comfort women" issue, though the Government has offered apologies for victims (http://www.awf.or.jp/english/index.html).
However, those anti-Government groups in Japan will probably welcome any foreigners accusing Japan, Japanese, and the Japanese Government for this issue. Their contacts can be easily found on the Internet.
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On Aug. 13, 1937, 120,000 Chinese troops began to attack 2,500 Japanese troops which were legally stationed in Shanghai and also protecting the Shanghai Concession (territory legally leased to foreign countries including Japan, the U.K., France, and the U.S.).
Then Chinese leader Chiang Kaishek had confidence in this military campaign not only because he had more soldiers but also because his government had a special treaty with Germany.
Germany had been investing in and supporting Chinese military since 1934. Thus Chinese troops were equipped with advanced German and Czech weapons and fighter planes made in the Soviet union (eventually in addition to unofficial U.S. flying squads).
(It was in 1936 that the Japan-Germany Anti-Comintern Pact was signed.)
On Aug. 14, Chinese war planes made air attacks on Japanese troops, resulting in killing and wounding 2,000 people living mainly in the French quarter of the Shanghai Concession.
On this day, Imperial Japan's Military also began a long-distance air strike onto Chinese troops from Kyushu, one of Japan's main islands, over the East China Sea.
On Aug. 22, three divisions of Imperial Japan's Military, newly dispatched to China, successfully landed on Shanghai and expelled Chinese troops out of the inner city, which reversed the tide.
On Oct. 26, Imperial Japan's Military took control of the key fortress called Dachang. Then Chinese troops lost chain of command and were routed to then Chinese capital Nanjing, 300km (170 miles) upstream of Shanghai along the Chang Jiang river.
In November, following the victory in the battles on Shanghai where, in total, 600,000 Chinese soldiers and 200,000 Japanese soldiers directly exchanged fire, Imperial Japan's Military began to chase the Chinese troops in full flight to Nanjing, though the Imperial Japan's Government in Tokyo tried to stop this military proceeding in vain.
On Nov. 20, Chinese leader Chiang Kaishek decided to relocate their capital from Nanjing to Chongqing, further upstream along the Chang Jiang river, while mobilizing newly 100,000 soldiers, without adequate training, for defense of Nanjing.
On Dec. 1, Imperial Japan's Military Headquarters in Tokyo approved the attack on Nanjing, since their troops in battle lines moved so fast.
On Dec. 7, Chinese leader Chiang Kaishek left Nanjing for Chongqing, while Imperial Japan's troops, now consisting of several divisions, broke through the outer ward of Nanjing which was so vast but not so densely populated.
On Dec. 11, Chinese leader Chiang Kaishek ordered his military to abandon and withdraw from Nanjing, but his order was not well communicated.
On Dec. 13, main ramparts of Nanjing were smashed through by Imperial Japan's Military troops. Chinese soldiers without chain of command fell into chaos, while changing into civilian dress and mingling into civilians who were also thrown into a panic.
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From a point of view of the Military of the Empire of Japan based on samurai traditions, the series of military battles from Shanghai to Nanjing was nothing but a failed adventure of the Chinese military.
Chinese military was supported by Nazi German weapons and military advisers, mobilizing soldiers ten times more than the Imperial Japan's troops who were protecting residents in the Shanghai Concession (territory legally leased to foreign countries including Japan, the U.K., France, and the U.S.).
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-German_cooperation_(1911%E2%80%931941))
Chinese generals and leaders left Nanjing, leaving their soldiers and citizens without sufficient orders, cares, and equipment and facilities.
Nonetheless, if I had been in charge, I would not have chased Chinese troops fleeing to Nanjing. Our main front should be then that facing the Soviet Union; and we should not have allied with Germany who had actually supported the Chinese military in the battles on Shanghai in 1937.
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You may have been taught this part of history in a different way and have a different point of view.
But, in the World War II, three million Japanese were killed.
You may think it is because the Imperial Japan's Military committed various crimes including the "abuse of comfort women."
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However, as you know, after WWII, Japan without any intention to possess nuclear weapons has been observing its pacifist Constitution and never been engaged in acts of war at all.
(Still there are many ex-Imperial Japan's soldiers alive in Japan. They belong to the same generation as that of former U.S. President Mr. George H. W. Bush and former Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Yasuhiro Nakasone.
Compared with them, we are very young, lucky, and more peace-loving, aren't we? And, don't you know nowadays many good Chinese girls like Japan?)
"GUIDE US INTO THE PATH OF PEACE"