Wartime Rape

In the mid-1990s, the recognition of systematic use of rape during the wars in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia garnered increased public attention. However, rape has been used as a strategic and specific weapon in the course of wars throughout history. In the 20th century alone, wartime rape was highly prevalent and perpetrated in many countries. During the Rape of Nanjing in 1937, Japanese soldiers raped an estimated 20,000 to 80,000 Chinese women. They also systematically raped women in Korea and the Philippines. Also in World War II, when the Soviet Union's Red Army invaded Berlin, soldiers committed between 20,000 and 100,000 rapes. U.S. soldiers have also perpetrated rape of Vietnamese women during war, most notably during the My Lai massacre. Rape has also been ...