Battle of Nanking

Battle of Nanking
Part of the Second Sino-Japanese War
Japanese soldiers stand atop the ruins of Nanking's Zhongshan Gate on December 13 with Zijinshan in the background.
Date December 1–13, 1937 Location Nanking and surrounding areas Result Japanese victory Fall of Nanking Nanking Massacre
Belligerents
Republic of China	Empire of Japan
Commanders and leaders
Tang Shengzhi	Iwane Matsui
Units involved
Nanking Garrison Force	Central China Area Army
Strength
100,000	50,000
Casualties and losses
Chinese estimate: 6,000–10,000 killed Japanese source: 50,000–70,000 killed	1,953 killed in battle 4,994 wounded

Battle of Nanking
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	南京保衛戰
Simplified Chinese	南京保卫战
Literal meaning	Battle to Defend Nanking
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Nánjīng Bǎowèi Zhàn Wade–Giles Nan2-ching1 Pao3-wei4 Chan4
Japanese name
Kanji	南京戦
Kana	なんきんせん
Transcriptions Romanization Nankin-sen

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Nánjīng Bǎowèi Zhàn
Wade–Giles	Nan2-ching1 Pao3-wei4 Chan4

Transcriptions
Romanization	Nankin-sen

Chinese estimate: 6,000–10,000 killed

The Battle of Nanking (or Nanjing) was fought in early December 1937 during the Second Sino-Japanese War between the National Revolutionary Army of China and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of Nanking (Nanjing), the capital of the Republic of China.

Following the outbreak of war between Japan and China in July 1937 the Japanese government at first attempting to contain the fighting and sought a negotiated settlement to the war. However, after victory in the Battle of Shanghai expansionists prevailed within the Japanese military and on December 1 a campaign to capture Nanking was officially authorized. The task of occupying Nanking was given to General Iwane Matsui, the commander of Japan's Central China Area Army, who believed that the capture of Nanking would force China to surrender and thus end the war. Chinese leader Chiang Kai-shek ultimately decided to defend the city and appointed Tang Shengzhi to command the Nanking Garrison Force, a hastily assembled army of local conscripts and the remnants of the Chinese units who had fought in Shanghai.

Japanese soldiers marched from Shanghai to Nanking at a breakneck pace, rapidly defeating pockets of Chinese resistance. By December 9 they had reached the last line of defense, the Fukuo Line, behind which lay Nanking's fortified walls. On December 10 Matsui ordered an all-out attack on Nanking, and after less than two days of intense fighting Chiang decided to abandon the city. Before fleeing, Tang ordered his men to launch a concerted breakout of the Japanese siege, but by this time Nanking was largely surrounded and its defenses were at the breaking point. Most of Tang's units simply collapsed, their soldiers often casting off their weapons and uniforms in the streets in the hopes of hiding among the city's civilian population.

Following the capture of the city Japanese soldiers massacred Chinese prisoners of war, murdered civilians, and committed acts of looting and rape in an event known as the Nanking Massacre. Though Japan's military victory excited and emboldened them, the subsequent massacre tarnished their reputation in the eyes of the world. Contrary to Matsui's expectations, China did not surrender and the Second Sino-Japanese War continued for another eight years.

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