1839-1842
First Opium (First Anglo-Chinese) War. Treaty of Nanking signed (1842) ending the First Opium War. China to pay large indemnity and extraterritoriality and most favored nation principle established in China
1856-1860
The videos in this gallery begin by looking at the historical relationship between China and Japan. This is followed by several videos that present each country's path to modernization with an examination of the internal and external forces at play and how these shaped the events leading up to December 13, 1937. Following a video on the atrocities themselves, are 3 videos based on the Tokyo Trials, the Responsibility of command and foundations of international law.
View images and maps of the Nanjing safety zone.
The images in this gallery capture significant military and political shifts that occurred in both China and Japan in the decades preceding the outbreak of war in July 1937.
Scholar Beth Van Schaack explains the Tokyo Trial.
1839-1842
First Opium (First Anglo-Chinese) War. Treaty of Nanking signed (1842) ending the First Opium War. China to pay large indemnity and extraterritoriality and most favored nation principle established in China
1856-1860
1853
United States Commodore Matthew Perry’s “black ships’ arrive in Edo Bay.
1854
The story of Calvin Chew Wong is representative of the idea of generational history passed down that is explored in the reading To Carry History. It took four first generation immigrants of the Wong Family to come to settle in America before a second generation Wong was born on American soil. From Calvin’s family line, he, Calvin Chew Wong was the first generation to emigrate to America, his son Michael Wong was the first second generation to be born, and his grandson Justin Matsuura was the first third generation to be born to the Wong Family. Now there are three generations of Calvin Wong’s line who are living in America.
Cavalrymen parade after Second Sino-Japanese war.
War damage in the southern section of Nanjing in March, 1938.
Acts of moral courage are not common, they are exceptional. People actively create opportunities to rescue or choose to help others. It can happen in a blink of an eye or after long deliberation, but these moments are not accidental.
Scholar Rana Mitter explains the importance of studying the Nanjing atrocities.