Nanking Massacre Atrocities: Photographic Evidence

Bayonetting was a common means of killing Chinese prisoners- soldiers helped each other in the practice.jpg
Live burials were another means of torture- some prisoners were half-buried and attacked by dogs.jpg
Soldiers also took part in decapitation as a means of killing.jpg
Soldiers raped thousands of women, often forcing them to pose in pornographic pictures- rape victims were often killed soon after.jpg
Soldiers raped thousands of women, often forcing them to pose in pornographic pictures- rape victims were often killed soon after 1.jpg

Dublin Core

Title

Nanking Massacre Atrocities: Photographic Evidence

Subject

Nanjing Massacre
War Crimes
Mass Atrocities
Photographic Evidence
Visual Documentation
1937-1938

Description

[Content Warning: This set of photos record the atrocities committed by Japanese soldiers during the Nanking Massacre and may be disturbing or triggering for some viewers.]

This set of photos consists of five scanned images that record the extreme violence of the Nanjing Massacre. The picture depicts:
  • The bayoneting of Chinese people by Japanese soldiers in the execution.
  • Live burials, prisoners were half buried and attacked by dogs as a form of torture.
  • Decapitations, demonstrating brutal methods of killing.
  • A rape scene where the victims were forced to pose for pornographic images before being killed.

Source

Bartrop, P. R., & Jacobs, S. L. (Eds.). (2015). Modern Genocide: The Definitive
Resource and Document Collection.

Date

1937-1938

Rights

All Rights Reserved

Format

Digital Image
Scanned Black-and-White Photograph
JPEG

Type

Image
Digital Photograph

Coverage

Nanking (now Nanjing), China
The Nanking Massacre, December 1937 – January 1938
Relevant to World War II and the International Military Tribunal for the Far East context

Still Image Item Type Metadata

Original Format

black-and-white photographs

Citation

“Nanking Massacre Atrocities: Photographic Evidence,” Omeka, accessed February 6, 2026, https://omeka.ischool.utoronto.ca/items/show/266.

Output Formats