The Rape of Nanjing

This chapter examines the Rape of Nanjing (1937–1938) as both an episode of extreme violence and a case of structural, state-driven deception. While historical accounts often focus on the scale and brutality on the part of the Japanese army, this chapter foregrounds how lies and deception played a central enabling role. It explores the Japanese military’s use of false promises to lure civilians and prisoners of war into submission, only to later execute or exploit them. The chapter also investigates how sexual violence, including the abduction of women under the pretext of searches or protection, was facilitated by deceptive language, false diplomacy, and manipulation of trust. Additionally, it discusses the institutionalized deception behind the ‘comfort women’ system, where promises of employment or education were used to coerce victims into sexual slavery. By analysing these practices, the chapter demonstrates how deception operated not as a supplement to violence but as an integral part of it. It reinforces the book’s broader argument that power – particularly in wartime – is exercised not only through force but through calculated manipulation of belief, trust, and expectation.