Nanjing

The Japanese invasion of China in 1937 was not unexpected, given the Japanese had previously invaded Manchuria - or northeastern China - and created a puppet government there in 1931. What was startling, however, was the level of cruelty and violence inflicted on Chinese citizens were subjected to throughout the length of the occupation.

The Rape of Nanjing, as its deadliest chapter became known, began in December 1937 and claimed the lives of almost 300,000 civilians over the next six weeks. The victims were frequently bayoneted to death in various ways, and beheading, disemboweling, impaling, and hacking into pieces with swords were also popular. Rape of women of all ages was very common, and victims were frequently tortured and mercilessly slain in the aftermath.

During the massacre, victims were buried alive, run over by tanks, fastened to walls, or burnt to death. Two Japanese troops were even vying to see how many people they could behead with their swords, since their exploits were constantly documented by a photographer and published in Japanese publications.

• Location: Nanjing, ‎China
• Stages: December 1937–January 1938
• Deaths: 200,000 people