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The Nanjing Safety Zone (南京安全区) was a demilitarised zone for Chinese civilians set up on the Eve of the Japanese breakthrough in the Battle of Nanjing (November 22, 1937). Following the example of Jesuit Father Robert Jacquinot de Besange in Shanghai, the foreigners in Nanjing created the Nanjing Safety Zone, managed by the Nanjing Safety Zone International Committee led by German businessman, weapons dealer, and Nazi member John Rabe. Some people call the city as Nanjing, and some others call the city as Nanking.
Area
The Safety Zone bordered roads on all four sides and had an area of approximately 3.86 km², with 25 refugee camps centred around the US Embassy. The size is approximately same as Central Park in New York.
The Position of the Zone
The City of Nanking affirmed the existence of the Safety zone, sent cash and food, and staffed security personnel in the zone. The Japanese army did not recognise its existence, but promised that as long as it remained demilitarised the Japanese army would not invade the area.
However, the Japanese Army found that there were guerrilla soldiers in the Safety Zone. This was caused by John Rabe allowed entering anyone who was not wearing uniform. In order to keep the Safety Zone demilitarised, the Japanese soldiers were forced to enter the Zone.
Some scholors stated that the Japanese soldiers committed atrocities in the Safety Zone. However, by other scholors, John Rabe sent the Japanese Army a letter of appreciation that he appreciate the Japanese Army secured the safety of the Safety Zone and the citizens inside had been saved. Besides, there are no witnesses that the Japanese Army soldier killed the innocent citizen.
Please note that the guerrilla attacks, the Chinese Nationalist Government frequently used, was illegal according to the International Treaty, because as stated above, guerrilla attacks endanger the life of innocent citizens.
What Happened in the Zone
In January 1938, there are two main views in the Safety Zone.
- Scholors who support the Nanking Massacre:
In late January 1938, the Japanese army forced all refugees in the Safety Zone to return home, and claimed to have "restored order". On February 18 1938, the Nanjing Safety Zone International Committee was forcibly renamed "Nanjing International Rescue Committee", and the Safety Zone effectively ceased to function. The last refugee camps were closed in May 1938.
- Scholors who decline the Nanking Massacre:
In January 1938, the citizens in the Safety Zone started realizing that the Japanese Army was friendly rather than enemy. Even a Japanese hatered Christian Father, John Maggie, stated that he saw the only one homicide case in the small Safety Zone. This is the one of the reason why the population of the Safety Zone increased from 200,000 to 250,000. The population of the Safety Zone was 200,000 before the Japanese entering Nanking. The population was reported from the Chief of Nanking Police Department to International Committee, according to "Documents of the Nanking Safety Zone" issued by Kelly and Walsh, Shanghai. However, according to the publicity, the population of The Safety Zone on February 14th was 250,000. In May, the citizens went back to the home because of restoration of the city's security.
In the months-long the controversial incident, John Rabe and his International Committee was credited with saving 50,000 - 250,000 lives under the fully cooperation of the Japanese Army.