July 1937: Marco Polo Bridge Incident, outbreak of (Second) Sino-Japanese War
August: Formation of the Shanghai Expeditionary Army
November: Formation of the Central China Area Army (CCAA), establishment of the General Headquarters (GHQ)
December 1, 1937: GHQ orders attack on Nanjing
December 7, 1937: Chiang Kai-Shek and Madame Chiang flee Nanjing
December 10, 1937: General attack on Nanjing begins
December 12, 1937: Japanese planes sink USS Panay (Panay Incident)
December 13, 1937: Nanjing falls
December 17, 1937: Entry ceremony held in Nanjing
January 1, 1938: Nanjing Self-governing Committee established
February 1938: General Matsui relieved of CCAA Commander’s Post
March 1938: Republic of China Reform Government established in Nanjing
Other Timelines:
Use this timeline of events that occurred between 1839-1949 in China as a reference while studying the Nanjing Atrocities.
Use this timeline of events that occurred between 1853-1951 in Japan as a reference while studying the Nanjing Atrocities.
Japanese Empire Building (1870-1942)
While China dealt with internal economic and political upheaval after the formation of the First Chinese Republic in 1911, Japan was emerging as a formidable imperial power. Following their victories in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905), Japanese leaders sought for more territories in the region. Gradually, Japan grew a vast empire.
