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Mass Executions Of POWs
- The Japanese army executed tens of thousands of Chinese POWs in organized mass killings shortly after capturing Nanking.
- Survivors were finished off amid piles of corpses and many bodies were burned or dumped into the Yangtze River.
Civilians Targeted En Masse
- After the military defeat, civilians in Nanking were subjected to indiscriminate killing, looting, and arson by occupying troops.
- The Yangtze River ran red with blood from bodies dumped there, documented in contemporary photographs and reports.
Extreme, Systematic Brutality
- Japanese troops used extreme, varied methods of torture and killing, including burning, bayonet practice, and burying people alive.
- The scale and novelty of the brutality shocked even seasoned journalists and military attachés.