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Unit 4—Handout 21
Refl ection Questions
1. Why is it important to remember and refl ect on historical events such as The Rape of Nanking?
2. Why do you think we know so little about the Nanking Massacre? Why is it not written about in
most WWII history books?
3. Why has the Nanking Massacre become known as the “Forgotten Holocaust”? Why are the
atrocities of WWII in Europe remembered and widely commemorated?
4. Why were the Japanese soldiers capable of committing such atrocities? What beliefs enabled them to
behave as they did? How were they trained to hate and kill?
5. What does Iris Chang, author of the Rape of Nanking, mean when she refers to the importance of
believing in the “Power of One”?
6. Why is it important to have multiple sources of evidence such as witness testimonies, diaries, offi cial
reports, newspaper articles, etc? How do we judge the reliability of sources?
7. Why is the use of imagery, photographs, and video footage important? What is the impact of such
depictions?
8. What is your reaction to the statement: “The Nanking massacre still affects people today.” How can
a historical event still affect us today?
9. “There’s a much more important story here than just the horrible ways in which people were
massacred.” What is this important story, and why is it so important?
10. Can the Japanese soldiers be at least partially excused because they were just “following orders”?
11. What is the difference between a victim and a survivor?
12. Why do survivors feel the need to be believed?
13. What should be our responsibility in the face of atrocity? Do we have a responsibility?
14. What questions would you like to ask a Nanking Massacre victim? What questions would you like to
ask a former Japanese Imperial Army soldier?
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