Nanking Safety Zone

Common card · No. 265396

The Nanking Safety Zone (Chinese: 南京安全區; pinyin: Nánjīng Ānquán Qū; Japanese: 南京安全区, Nankin Anzenku, or 南京安全地帯, Nankin Anzenchitai) was a demilitarized zone for Chinese civilians set up on the eve of the Japanese breakthrough in the Battle of Nanking (December 13, 1937). The Battle of Songhu was fought following the Marco Polo Bridge incident, during which the Japanese bombed Nanjing (Nanking) indiscriminately, resulting in the fatalities of a significant number of innocent civilians. In an effort to prevent additional casualties, Hang Liwu and a number of expatriates residing in Nanjing endeavored to establish a neutral zone within the city for refugees. Based on the Nanshi Refugee Zone (an initiative led by Jesuit Robert Jacquinot de Besange) in Shanghai, they designated a 3.86 square kilometer area in the western region of Nanjing city with the intention of leveraging the influence of foreigners to secure the area. The International Committee for the Safe Zone was formally established...

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