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The savage cruelty of the Nanjing Massacre was an event seldom seen in human history. The physical and spiritual injury inflicted on the people by the invading Japanese troops were deep and massive. Using historical documents and close to 100 interviews with surviving victims and eye-witnesses, the author of this article attempts to study the socio-psychological effects on the citizens of Nanjing.
I. On the Eve of the Attack
Fears of the upcoming battle for Nanjing actually began on 15 August when the Japanese initiated air raids on the city. The bombings not only incurred heavy damage to property, but more importantly, they were an assault on the sense of security of the people of Nanjing. According to the reports of the Japanese Imperial armed forces, from 15 August to 13 December when Nanjing fell, the planes of the Japanese Navy flew more than fifty missions over Nanjing, using more than 800 airplanes, and unleashing 160 tons of bombs.1 Other sources, however, indicate that the actual number of missions may be as great as 110. If we were to count the average number of times that the air raid sirens sounded on any given clear day during that period, it would be more than three times.
Almost every day the newspapers would write about the number of people killed and wounded. All the big newspapers in Nanjing reported that on the morning of 27 August, from 1-3 AM when Japanese planes bombed Nanjing, 400-500 houses were destroyed, over a hundred people killed, and several hundred injured.2 Bombs exploded everywhere, and the constant reporting of the devastation caused by the air attacks increased people's fears steadily.
The constant air raids made it intolerable for many people. The residents of Nanjing began to flee in large numbers. The wealthy ones loaded their belongings on boats and headed to the interior up the Yangzi River. Those less wealthy headed for northern Jiangsu and Anhui province to stay with friends and relatives. The poor planned to flee to the countryside if and when the Japanese began to attack the city. There were also those who believed that war had nothing to do with the common people; no matter who's in power, the common people will be allowed to live....