Historical Aspects of Humanity
 Throughout history there have been many instances of man’s
inhumanity to man.
 Yet there are many stories that portray the positive spirit of
humanity….
 Quote
“Courage is not the absence of fear,
but rather the judgement that something else is more important
than fear. . . .”
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 The most significant aspect of my trip to China was becoming
aware of the atrocities that occurred in Nanjing.
 I was also overcome with admiration of the spirit of those that
chose to oppose these events…..
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 The Nanking Massacre or Nanjing Massacre, also known as the
Rape of Nanking, was a mass murder and war rape that
occurred during the six-week period following the Japanese
capture of the city of Nanjing (Nanking) on December 13,
1937. This was during the Sino – Japanese War.
 During this period, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians
and disarmed soldiers were murdered and 20,000–80,000
women were raped by soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
In World War Two, when the
Japanese troops took the city of
Nanjing, hundreds of thousands of
civilians were massacred. The
elderly, women and children were
indiscriminately killed.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 John Rabe (November 23, 1882 – January 5, 1950) was a
German businessman. He is best known for his efforts to stop
the atrocities of the Japanese Army during the Nanking
Occupation and his work to protect and help Chinese civilians
during the event.
 The Nanking Safety Zone, which he helped to establish,
sheltered approximately 200,000 Chinese people from
slaughter during the massacre.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 John Rabe stated"... there is a question of morality here...I
cannot bring myself to betray the trust these people have put
in me. The zones were located in all of the foreign embassies
and at Nanjing University.
 Rabe was elected as its leader, in part because of his status as
a member of the Nazi Party and the existence of the German–
Japanese bilateral Anti- Cometrim Pact.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 The Nanking Massacre killed hundreds of thousands of people,
while Rabe and his zone administrators tried frantically to stop
the atrocities. His attempts to appeal to the Japanese by using
his Nazi membership credentials only delayed them; but that
delay allowed hundreds of refugees to escape.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
 The movie “John Rabe” demonstrates the courage of a
group of individuals experiencing a horrific time in China’s
history.
Historical Aspects of Humanity
Use your knowledge of the movie to
highlight the courageous deeds of John
Rabe.
Find courageous individuals from Japan…
“Courage is not the absence of fear,
but rather the judgement that something
else is more important than fear. . . .”