Battle of Nanjing

E19099

The Battle of Nanjing was a major 1937 Second Sino-Japanese War engagement in which Japanese forces captured China’s then-capital Nanjing, leading directly to the Nanjing Massacre.

Aliases (1)

Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf battle
military engagement
alsoKnownAs Battle of Nanking
belligerent Imperial Japanese Army
National Revolutionary Army
campaign Japanese campaign to capture Chinese capital
capitalCityInvolved Nanjing
casualties heavy Chinese casualties
significant Japanese casualties
cause Japanese expansionism in China
escalation of Second Sino-Japanese War
ChineseCapitalAtTime Nanjing
combatant Empire of Japan
Republic of China
commander Matsui Iwane
Prince Asaka Yasuhiko
Tang Shengzhi
conflict Second Sino-Japanese War
country China
defensiveLine Chinese defenses around Nanjing
effect mass killings of Chinese civilians and POWs
occupation of Nanjing by Japanese forces
widespread sexual violence against civilians
endDate 1937-12-13
followedBy Nanjing Massacre
Rape of Nanking
historicalPeriod 1930s
World War II in Asia
location Nanjing
Republic of China
notableFor brutal conduct of occupying forces
rapid collapse of Chinese defense of the capital
objective capture of Nanjing
offensiveOperation Japanese advance from Shanghai to Nanjing
partOf Second Sino-Japanese War
precededBy Battle of Shanghai
relatedEvent Nanjing Massacre
Second Sino-Japanese War atrocities
result Japanese victory
significance direct prelude to Nanjing Massacre
fall of Chinese capital
startDate 1937-12-01
theater Chinese theater of World War II
Eastern China
typeOfWarfare siege
urban warfare
year 1937


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