Japanese War Crimes during World War II

A challenging examination of Japanese war crimes during World War II offers a fresh perspective on the Pacific War-and a better understanding of reasons for the wartime use of extreme mass violence. The 1937 Rape of Nanjing has become a symbol of Japanese violence during the Second World War, but it was not the only event during which the Japanese used extreme force. This thought-provoking book analyzes Japan's actions during the war, without blaming Japan, helping readers understand what led to those eruptions. In fact, the author specifically disputes the idea that the forms of extreme violence used in the Pacific War were particularly Japanese. The volume starts by examining the Rape of Nanjing, then goes on to address Japan's acts of individual and collective violence throughout the conflict. Unlike other works on the subject, it combines historical, sociological, and psychological perspectives on violence with a specific study of the Japanese army, seeking to define the reasons for the use of extreme violence in each particular case. Both a historical survey and an explanation of Japanese warfare, the book scrutinizes incidents of violence perpetrated by the Japanese vis-à-vis theories that explore the use of violence as part of human nature. In doing so, it provides far-reaching insights into the use of collective violence and torture in war overall, as well as motivations for committing atrocities. Finally, the author discusses current political implications stemming from Japan's continued refusal to acknowledge its war-time actions as war crimes.

Frank Jacob es profesor de Historia Global en la Nord Universitet, Noruega. Anteriormente ocupó cargos en la City University de Nueva York y la Universidad de Würzburg, Alemania. Jacob recibió un doctorado en Estudios Japoneses en la Universidad de Erlangen, Alemania en 2012, y un DBA con especialización en gestión intercultural de la Universidad Jean Moulin, Lyon III/BSI, Luxemburgo en 2021. Sus principales campos de investigación incluyen la historia japonesa moderna, el anarquismo transnacional y la teoría de la revolución. Jacob ha escrito o editado más de 100 libros desde 2013, y sus publicaciones recientes con Vernon Press incluyen 'Florentine Ariosto Jones: A Yankee in Switzerland and the Early Globalization of the American System of Watchmaking' (2021).

Introduction Chapter 1 On Violence and Perpetrators Chapter 2 The Rape of Nanjing Chapter 3 Rape: A Theoretical Analysis Chapter 4 The Comfort Women System Chapter 5 The Bataan Death March Chapter 6 POWs of the Japanese Chapter 7 Unit 731 Conclusion Notes Works Cited Index