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Lists about terrible times in history during which man went to great lengths to dehumanize entire populations of people.

Dark History

Japan

The Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanjing, was a mass killing event that took place in the city of Nanjing, China (formerly written as Nanking). The massacre began on December 13, 1937 - when Imperial Japanese forces captured Nanjing - and lasted until January 1938.

Tensions had been running especially high between China and Japan leading up to the massacre. Following the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894 to 1895, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/a-list-of-the-second-sino-japanese-war-battles-involving-china/reference" target="_blank">Second Sino-Japanese War</a>&nbsp;broke out&nbsp;in 1937 when China began a full-scale resistance to the expansion of Japanese influence in its territory.&nbsp;

After capturing Nanjing,&nbsp;Japanese forces were instructed by General Matsui Iwane&nbsp;to annihilate Nanjing and its residents and conquer as much land as possible. Upwards of <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/japan/nanjing-massacre" target="_blank">300,000&nbsp;Chinese civilians</a> were executed during the&nbsp;merciless attack that would follow.

In 1985, the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall was built on the site of the Jiangdongmen mass grave, where more than 10,000 victims were buried, and where all those who perished in Nanjing will always be remembered.

Details About The Nanjing Massacre You'll Never Unlearn

General

10 Horrific Details About The Nanjing Massacre

Brian Guthrie

Lists about racism, prejudice, and discrimination in the real world and as it is depicted throughout film, TV, and music.

Race Relations

Celebrating and going deep in black culture, people, and experiences in the US and beyond.

Black History

Graveyard Shift

Despite their numbers and their exemplary service, Black servicemen in WWII struggled with harsh realities and limited civil rights.&nbsp;They faced&nbsp;discrimination at every step; Black men were often determined to be unfit for combat&nbsp;and were constantly passed over for promotions. The racism was blatant - in some places, for instance, Black soldiers were denied entrance to restaurants that were providing food to German POWs.

Despite the grim consequences of serving in a world rife with prejudice, Black men and women continued to fight in the conflict with valor. But that fight wasn&#39;t easy, particularly for those unfortunate enough to be captured by either <a href="/list/japanese-wwii-war-crimes/mel-judson" target="_blank">Japanese&nbsp;soldiers</a>&nbsp;or members of the Third Reich. <a href="/list/how-world-war-2-changed-the-world/kellen-perry" target="_blank">WWII changed the world</a>&nbsp;for everyone, including African American soldiers. Their stories paint a picture of devotion to country, even when that country turns its back on you.

True Stories And Grim Realities For Black Servicemen During WWII

World History

Have you ever wondered what relics of the Third Reich in the USA can be found &mdash;&nbsp;or even visited? Who doesn&#39;t want a Panzer sitting in their driveway? Who hasn&#39;t fantasized about&nbsp;eating breakfast off of a silver platter that Hitler once owned?&nbsp;Maybe you&#39;re a dedicated comics fan who wants nothing more than to finish that stunning replica of the Red Skull.

Regardless, the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/nazi-mysteries/philgibbons" target="_blank">mysteries of the Third Reich</a> have long fascinated historians. Thanks, in part, to ex-patriot <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/nazi-war-criminals-who-were-never-caught/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">followers of Hitler who were never caught</a>, for the more dedicated students of history, it is very possible to view the vestiges of the doomed Aryan empire in the USA.&nbsp;From the&nbsp;still-in-existence&nbsp;planned community in Long Island&nbsp;to a nearly intact U-Boat, opportunities abound for you to see Nazi relics in the US. Not all of them are even in museums, and, if you have a small fortune you&#39;re just itching to use, you could become the next <a href="http://nypost.com/2015/06/27/meet-the-man-who-owns-the-worlds-largest-nazi-collection/" target="_blank">Kevin Wheatcroft</a>.&nbsp;

Real Nazi Relics You Can Visit Right Here in the USA If You're Into That Kind Of Thing

9 Real Nazi Relics You Can Visit Right Here in the USA

Lists about life for soldiers and civilians alike during the Second Great War, which raged around the world from 1939-1945.

WWII

Pop Culture

We saw them as our stars &ndash;&nbsp;our dashing leading men.&nbsp;We threw awards at them, cheering whenever we saw them, not realizing that many carried honors far greater than those earned on the silver screen &ndash; for they were actors who fought in WWII, the <a href="http://www2.bc.edu/zachary-s-laub/World%20War%202%20Final.html" target="_blank">most fatal conflict</a> in history.&nbsp;Some came back highly decorated for their service.&nbsp;Some of these actors present on D-Day might surprise you; others flew high in the sky or manned the ships at sea.&nbsp;

Hollywood&rsquo;s 20th-century roster is filled with actors who were also veterans.&nbsp;Most were relatively unknown when they stepped forward as a part of that &ldquo;<a href="http://legacyproject.human.cornell.edu/2012/05/10/going-going-but-not-yet-gone-the-greatest-generation/" target="_blank">Greatest Generation</a>&rdquo; to hold back the forces of evil. Some were already household names, with long careers on stage and screen. Fame made no difference. It was a time when&nbsp;it did not matter where one lived or what one did for a living. There was a job to be done, and they answered the call.&nbsp;

Read on for a list of some of Hollywood&#39;s <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-actors-right-now/celebrity-lists?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">most famous stars</a> of last century, all of whom played the &quot;role&quot; of their lives as they helped to defeat the Axis Powers.

Dashing Leading Men You Had No Idea Fought In WWII

Actor

9 Insanely Popular Actors You Had No Idea Fought In WWII

History

You might expect the locations where historical figures are buried to be grand. Royals like Anne Boleyn and Louis&nbsp;XIV seem destined for ornate coffins, and it's easy to assume great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart would be interred in fittingly beautiful surroundings. But there are a surprisingly number of stories about historical figures buried in decidedly less glamorous places. Just consider Richard III – his remains were discovered in a parking lot.How did the bodies of these notable individuals turn up in humble locations like <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/strange-items-found-during-construction/daveesons" target="_blank">construction sites</a>? Some of that has to do with the reputation of the deceased. Throughout history, souvenir-hunters have made off with relics from the famous and dead. And then there are the sometimes despised rulers – there's nothing like a good revolution to ensure corpses go missing.From a mysterious head discovered in an attic to entrails stuffed in a barrel, there's no shortage of bodies found in weird places. And these are just the famous people. Who knows how many other corpses have been lost to antiquity?

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