On December 10th, 1937, the Japanese began the attacks. Political and military leader, Chiang Kai-shek, firmly believed in defending the city. The losses at Shanghai left the Chinese military weak and unreliable. Most soldiers were inexperienced with war. While being under constant attack, the Chinese didn't have time to send their injured soldiers to the back. For two days, the Chinese defended the city of Nanjing, though many soldiers fled. On December 12, Chiang Kai-Shek ordered the troops to evacuate with the fleeing civilians. Only the very poor remained in the city. General Asaka Yasuhiko, Prince of the Imperial family, led the Japanese army into Nanjing. The Japanese, looking for Chinese soldiers, looted, set fires, and killed thousands. More often then not, the Chinese soldiers were killed instead of taken prisoner. Not only were the soldiers killed, but the civilians as well. Even the elderly and infants were targeted. Bodies littered the streets and people were left in mass graves.The Japanese held killing contests. They would line the Chinese up one by one and would put a bullet through their head going down the line. There have been reports of beheadings and people burned alive as well. The Japanese would use Chinese prisoners as live targets during bayonet drills.
They [Japanese soldiers] bayoneted one little boy, killing him, and I spent an hour and a half this morning patching up another little boy of eight who had five bayonet wounds including one that penetrated his stomach, a portion of omentum was outside the abdomen. (Robert Wilson in a letter to his family)