Historical point on "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal": Lieutenant General Hisao Tani was sentenced to death by the Nanjing Military Court and executed.

[Context & Analysis] Hisao Tani was the commander of the 6th division at the time of the capture of Nanjing. He was found guilty by the Nanjing Military Court of direct responsibility for the massacre committed by his subordinate soldiers, and was executed by firing squad in Yuhuatai, Nanjing on April 26, 1947. This is one of the most important decisions of the Nanjing Military Tribunal. [Verdict] Official records available (Source: Nanjing Great Slaughter Historical Materials - Nanjing Judgment [Memorial Hall of the Japanese Invading Forces of Nanjing Massacre and Victims])

Historical point on "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal": Second Lieutenants Toshiaki Mukai and Takeshi Noda of the ``Hyakunin Slash Contest'' were sentenced to death.

[Context & Analysis] ``Hyakunin Slash Competition'' is based on an article reported in ``Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun'' (currently Mainichi Shimbun) in 1937. The same article reported that Second Lieutenants Mukai and Noda engaged in a 100-man ``competition'' with Japanese swords during the Battle of Nanjing. The Nanjing Military Tribunal used this article as key evidence and sentenced both men to death. In Japan, the family filed a defamation lawsuit in 2003, but lost (upheld by the Supreme Court in 2006). There is an ongoing debate in Japan as to whether the article was an exaggeration or a fabrication to boost fighting spirit. [Verdict] Fact finding is controversial (Source: Supreme Court decision on Hyakunin-kiri lawsuit (in Japanese) [Court], Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun (reports from November to December 1937) (in Japanese) [Mainichi Shimbun])

Historical point on "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal": The court determined that the number of victims was ``more than 190,000 people killed collectively, more than 150,000 people killed individually, and more than 300,000 people in total.''

[Context & Analysis] This certification is based on burial records by charitable organizations such as the Red Swastika Society and Chongshan Temple, testimonies of survivors, and records of the International Safety Zone. At the same time, the Tokyo Tribunal (International Military Tribunal for the Far East) recognized the number of victims as ``more than 200,000,'' but the number recognized differs between the two courts. Japanese historian Ikuhiko Hata has questioned the reliability of the burial records at Chongshan-do (approximately 110,000 bodies), pointing out that the group may have ceased its activities at the time of the fall of Nanjing. On the other hand, Chinese researchers argue that the overall number, including other burial records and testimonies, is more than 300,000. [Verdict] There is a wide range of estimates. (Source: Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East [International Criminal Court - Legal Tools Database], “Nanjing Incident” (in Japanese) [Chuko Shinsho (Ikuhiko Hata)])

Historical point on "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal": The Tokyo Tribunal and the Nanjing Military Tribunal are separate courts, and the number of victims is determined differently.

[Context & Analysis] The Tokyo Tribunal (IMTFE) was an international tribunal led by the Allies that tried Class A war criminals and recognized the number of victims in Nanjing as ``more than 200,000.'' On the other hand, the Nanjing Military Tribunal, a domestic tribunal set up by the Republic of China government, judged BC-class war criminals and recognized them as ``more than 300,000.'' The fact that two courts from the same period differed by 100,000 in the number of victims shows how difficult it is to determine the number of victims. [Verdict] Official records available (Source: Judgment of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East [International Criminal Court - Legal Tools Database])

Historical point on "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal": The People's Republic of China is inheriting court rulings sponsored by the Republic of China government.

[Context & Analysis] The Nanjing Military Tribunal was sponsored by the Republic of China (Kuomintang government). After the change of government in 1949, the People's Republic of China (communist government) fully inherited the court's rulings. Although the PRC normally denies the legitimacy of the ROC, it actively cites the judgment of the Nanjing Military Tribunal as ``realizing justice for the Chinese people.'' This is one of the rare cases in which China and Taiwan share a common position on historical issues regarding Japan. [Verdict] Background information (Source: Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre [Memorial Hall of the Japanese Invading Forces of Nanjing Massacre and Victims])

How is "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal" described in China's history textbooks?

From 1946 to 1947, the government of the Republic of China established a military tribunal (Ministry of National Defense Trial War Criminals Military Tribunal) in Nanjing to try Japanese war criminals who were directly responsible for the Nanjing Massacre. (Source: Chinese history textbooks/official descriptions (general descriptions))

How is "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal" described in Japan's history textbooks?

After World War II, as part of the Allied war crimes trial, the government of the Republic of China set up military courts in various parts of China, including Nanjing, to try BC class war criminals of the Japanese military. (Source: Japanese high school history textbooks/academic discussion (general description))

How is "Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal" described in Taiwan's history textbooks?

From 1946 to 1947, the government of the Republic of China (Kuomintang government) established the Ministry of National Defense Tribunal War Crimes Military Tribunal in the capital, Nanjing, and conducted war crimes trials for war crimes committed by the Japanese military, including the Nanjing Massacre. (Source: Taiwanese high school history textbooks and academic research (general description))

Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal | HistoryDiff

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ArchivePostwar trials/war responsibility1946-1947Nanjing, China

Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal

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Related Photos1

The Nanjing War Crimes Tribunal in session, 1946. The court tried senior Japanese officers; its findings and casualty estimates remain a subject of historical debate.

Source: Wikimedia CommonsPublic Domain

United StatesPostwar trials/war responsibility1946-1947Nanjing, China

Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal

Source:American high school world history textbooks/academic research (general description)

Source Nature:

Academic & Scientific ResearchOriginal Language

After the end of World War II, the Allies set up military tribunals to try Japanese war crimes. The most widely known case is the Tokyo Trials (IMTFE), but the Republic of China government also independently conducted military trials of BC-class war criminals in various parts of China, including Nanjing.

In American textbooks, the postwar war crimes trials against Japan are mainly described in the context of the Tokyo Trials (International Military Tribunal for the Far East). There are few textbooks that detail the Nanking Military Tribunal (Military Tribunal for Military Crimes Tribunal by the Ministry of National Defense) as an independent topic, and they mainly focus on the fact that the Rape of Nanking was one of the main charges in the Tokyo Tribunal.

In American academic research, the Nanjing Military Tribunal is positioned as part of the postwar war crimes trial system. The number of victims certified by the court as ``more than 300,000'' is referred to as one of several estimates, but it needs to be understood in light of the limitations of the estimation method, along with the finding of ``more than 200,000'' in the Tokyo trial. The fact that Americans who were staying in Nanjing at the time (Professor Minor Searle Bates of Jinling University, Reverend John McGee, etc.) testified as witnesses in this court also indicates an indirect connection between the United States and the court.

As the Cold War intensified, America's policy toward Japan shifted from "punishment" to "reconstruction and alliance." This policy change also affected the unfinished cases of the Tokyo Trials, contributing to the decline in interest in the war crimes trials as a whole. The reason why the Nanjing Military Tribunal has less international recognition than the Tokyo Trials is also related to these Cold War political dynamics.

Perspectives Summary

Item	China	Japan	Taiwan	United States
Title	Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal	Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal	Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal	Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal
Category	Postwar trials/war responsibility	Postwar trials/war responsibility	Postwar trials/war responsibility	Postwar trials/war responsibility
Era	1946-1947	1946-1947	1946-1947	1946-1947
Source	Chinese history textbooks/official descriptions (general descriptions) Commercial / Standard TextbookVia Translation	Japanese high school history textbooks/academic discussion (general description) Academic & Scientific ResearchVia Translation	Taiwanese high school history textbooks and academic research (general description) Academic & Scientific ResearchVia Translation	American high school world history textbooks/academic research (general description) Academic & Scientific ResearchOriginal Language
Excerpt	From 1946 to 1947, the government of the Republic of China established a military tribunal (Ministry of National Defense…	After World War II, as part of the Allied war crimes trial, the government of the Republic of China set up military cour…	From 1946 to 1947, the government of the Republic of China (Kuomintang government) established the Ministry of National …	After the end of World War II, the Allies set up military tribunals to try Japanese war crimes. The most widely known ca…

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This comparison is based on general descriptions from official or widely used history textbooks in each country. While minor nuances may change in translation, the goal is to highlight differences in how major events are perceived, the order of description, and what is emphasized. In particular, notable differences in the naming of events and the background of their occurrence can be seen between "United States" and "China".

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Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal

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Description of the Nanjing Military Tribunal

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