American Goddess at the Rape of Nanking: The Courage of Minnie Vautrin

One of the things about the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, or the Nanjing Incident, depending on whose book you are reading, is that there were a number of Westerners who observed what happened. If all the accounts were limited to the Chinese and the Japanese, the examination of what really happened would be limited to just the two viewpoints.

That here were Westerners present, and that they left behind various writings, and that they were basically neutral at the time (except for one who was a Nazi), adds a whole other level of information to the accounts of what happened.

Minnie Vautrin was a Christian missionary who was involved in an all-girl's school in Nanking. She is known for trying to protect the girls and other Chinese women from being raped by the Japanese soldiers.

The book starts in with her own background, where she was born, grew up, what she did, etc.

In 1919, she became the acting president of the Department of Education of Ginling College, an all-girl's school. Educating women was not something the Chinese considered very important, but for the few who did, Minnie and various other missionaries tried to set up what education they could for the girls.

It is interesting that the “Rape of Nanking” was not actually the first one at all. The book notes that, in 1927, Chiang Kai-shek's army entered Nanking and attacked the foreign consulates and schools, and threatened to rape the women.

An interesting passage: “Japan's aggression in Manchuria, North China, and Inner Mongolia provoked vigorous anti-Japanese outbreaks among the Chinese...They not only boycotted Japanese goods but also threatened Japanese lives and properties. Anti-Japanese clubs and associations mushroomed nationwide. The Japanese government repeatedly demanded that the National government suppress the people's anti-Japanese activities and outlaw all anti-Japanese organizations, and the Chinese government bowed to Japan's demands.”

1. August 1, 1937: The Nationalist government orders all dependents of its officials evacuated from Nanking.
2. August 13: Japanese planes bomb Nanking.
3. August 16: The American embassy evacuates all American women and children from the city. Japanese bombing continues.
4. August 27: Japanese planes bomb government and military buildings, residential areas, schools and hospitals.
5. September 20: The American vice consul in Nanking spoke to Minnie, reading her a message from the admiral of the Japanese fleet at Shanghai saying they would attack Nanking the following day.
6. By the end of October, the officials of the city had left, along with the rich and the middle class. “Only the military personnel and the very poor remained.”

The Japanese army entered Nanking on December 13. “...no sooner had they entered the city than they began to slaughter innocent civilians and the disarmed Chinese soldiers.” They even attacked the International Safety Zone. A New YorK Times reporter sees the Japanese kill 200 Chinese within ten minutes in the city.