Weird War Tales
Times Past, 1938
Nanking’s Hope
by Drivtaan
The Nanking Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking, was one of the worst times in China’s history. When a young man named Chen Shih nearly becomes another victim of the Japanese invaders, he is saved by none other than the god Kuan-ti. During this dark time, a new hero is born, but will Shen Lu Kai champion vengeance or justice?
Author’s note: This story is based in part on actual events. Between December, 1937, and March, 1938, over three hundred thousand citizens of Nanking, China, were savagely abused, raped, and butchered by the invading Japanese army. That’s almost ten thousand more lives than the estimated two hundred and ninety-one thousand the American armed forces lost to combat during the entire war. Just before the city fell, a group of fifteen American and European missionaries and businessmen set up an international safety zone and marked off a two-square-mile sector near the city center with white flags and Red Cross banners. A German businessman named John Rabe led the group; surprisingly, Rabe was a member of Nanking’s Nazi Party. It is documented that on several occasions John himself waded into groups of Japanese soldiers in an attempt to save their victims. Usually, the sight of his swastika was enough to bring a halt to the Japanese brutality. Rabe sent letters to both the Japanese and the German governments in an attempt to stop the atrocities. In February, 1938, John Rabe was recalled to Germany by his company and questioned by the Gestapo. It is shortly after this that the story begins.