The Unspeakable Things That Happened In Unit 731
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the dark history of Japan's Unit 731 during WWII, revealing horrific atrocities committed against Chinese citizens. It explores the political and racial motivations behind these acts, including Japan's quest for respect and the influence of Western powers. The narrative exposes the inhumane medical experiments conducted by Shiro Ishii and his unit, emphasizing the tragic scale of suffering and the subsequent immunity granted to the perpetrators by the U.S., highlighting a disturbing chapter in history.
Takeaways
- 📚 The script discusses often overlooked or forgotten historical events, emphasizing the political and cultural reasons behind their obscurity.
- 🚫 The video warns viewers of the graphic and disturbing content, advising discretion and suitability for mature audiences.
- 🌏 It addresses accusations of spreading propaganda and clarifies the intention to present factual history, regardless of national or ethnic sentiments.
- 🇯🇵 The script outlines Japan's historical context, including its period of isolation and subsequent modernization, which was driven by a determination to avoid foreign domination.
- 🛑 The video highlights the stark contrast between Japan's rapid modernization and the Western powers' reluctance to see Japan as an equal due to racial bias and geopolitical interests.
- 💥 It describes the rise of Japan as a military dictatorship and its transformation into a fascist state, influenced by a combination of nationalism, militarism, and a distorted version of Bushido.
- 🇨🇳 The atrocities committed by Japan in China during World War II are detailed, including the exploitation and experimentation on Chinese people under occupation.
- 🧬 Unit 731 is introduced as a covert unit responsible for horrific medical experiments and biological warfare, led by Shiro Ishii, a figure likened to Nazi war criminals.
- 🔪 The script vividly describes the inhumane experiments conducted by Unit 731, including exposure to diseases, chemical agents, and extreme conditions, often resulting in the victims' agonizing deaths.
- 🏥 The medical professionals involved in these atrocities are portrayed as having been motivated by a twisted sense of scientific curiosity and a disregard for human life.
- 🤝 Post-war, the United States granted immunity to Shiro Ishii and his accomplices in exchange for the potential use of their research in future conflicts, a decision that raises ethical questions.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the video script?
-The primary focus of the video script is to discuss a relatively forgotten and horrific period in Chinese history, specifically the atrocities committed by the Japanese during World War II, including the activities of Unit 731.
Why does the video script mention the Nan King event and the Holocaust?
-The script mentions the Nan King event and the Holocaust to establish the context of the video, highlighting the creators' commitment to covering historical atrocities that have been overlooked or ignored, and to address accusations of spreading propaganda in previous videos.
What was the historical context of Japan's isolation from the world?
-Japan was isolated from the world from the early 17th century until the mid-19th century by order of the ruling Shoguns, who allowed only limited foreign contact on a small island near Nagasaki and prohibited Japanese from leaving the country.
How did Japan's perception of the West change after World War I?
-After World War I, many Japanese felt that they had been shortchanged by the Western powers in the post-war settlements, leading to a belief that the West was biased against them and unwilling to treat them as equals.
What were the two main goals of Japan during the Meiji Restoration?
-The two main goals of Japan during the Meiji Restoration were to modernize the country as quickly as possible and to prevent the Western countries from exerting the same level of control over Japan as they had in China.
What is the significance of Shiro Ishii and Unit 731 in the script?
-Shiro Ishii and Unit 731 are significant as they represent the extreme atrocities committed by the Japanese military during World War II, particularly in the development and use of chemical and biological weapons against Chinese civilians.
What was the official name and actual purpose of Unit 731?
-The official name of Unit 731 was 'Water Purification Unit 731', but its actual purpose was to conduct inhumane experiments on Chinese prisoners to develop biological and chemical weapons.
What kind of experiments were conducted by Unit 731?
-Unit 731 conducted a variety of horrific experiments, including exposure to deadly germs, chemical and biological warfare agents, extreme temperatures, and invasive surgical procedures, often without anesthesia.
Why was Shiro Ishii not prosecuted after the war?
-Shiro Ishii was not prosecuted after the war because the U.S. military government granted him immunity in exchange for the data he collected during the war, which they believed could be useful in future conflicts.
What was the impact of the Japanese military's actions on the Chinese population during the occupation?
-The Japanese military's actions during the occupation had a devastating impact on the Chinese population, with estimates of Chinese losses ranging from 10 to 20 million people between 1936 and 1945.
How did the video script address the issue of Western bias against Japan?
-The script addresses Western bias by discussing how Japan's victories over China and Russia were not fully recognized by the Western powers, contributing to a sense of resentment and perceived racial and ethnic discrimination against the Japanese.
Outlines
📚 Historical Video Content Warning
This paragraph sets the stage for a video that delves into a dark and often overlooked chapter of history. It emphasizes the importance of presenting factual information about events that have been forgotten or ignored due to political reasons or national and ethnic biases. The video warns viewers of its graphic content, relating to the inhumane treatment of people in China, and refutes accusations of spreading propaganda. It also highlights the historical context of Japan's isolation and subsequent opening to the West, leading to a desire to modernize and avoid the fate of colonization suffered by China.
🏛️ Japan's Struggle for Recognition and the Roots of Atrocities
This paragraph explores the complex relationship between Japan and the Western world, focusing on racial biases and the perception of Japan's rapid modernization and military victories. It discusses Japan's achievements and the Western reluctance to see them as equals, which contributed to a sense of injustice among the Japanese. The narrative then shifts to the rise of Japanese militarism and fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, influenced by a distorted sense of ethnic superiority and loyalty to the emperor, which laid the groundwork for the atrocities committed against the Chinese during the Japanese occupation.
🧪 The Horrors of Unit 731: Japan's Secret Biological Warfare
This paragraph details the chilling activities of Unit 731, led by Shiro Ishii, who conducted inhumane experiments on Chinese prisoners during World War II. The unit, under the guise of a water purification unit, performed a range of brutal tests including germ warfare, chemical injections, and surgeries that were nothing short of sadistic. The paragraph outlines the various methods of experimentation and the sheer scale of human suffering caused by these actions, which resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people.
🕊️ Post-War Impunity and Legacy of Unit 731
The final paragraph discusses the aftermath of World War II for Unit 731 and its leader, Shiro Ishii. Despite the heinous crimes committed, Ishii was granted immunity by the U.S. authorities due to the potential value of the data collected during his experiments. The paragraph also mentions the fate of other members of the unit, some of whom were imprisoned but not executed, and the fact that they were able to hold reunions in Japan after the war. It ends with a call to action for viewers to engage with the content, highlighting the importance of remembering and understanding history.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Unit 731
💡Ethnic Superiority
💡Holocaust
Highlights
The video discusses often-forgotten or ignored historical events, emphasizing the importance of understanding the context behind these events.
The Nanjing Massacre is highlighted as a particularly brutal event in Chinese history, with a warning about the graphic nature of the content.
The video refutes accusations of spreading Chinese Communist propaganda, emphasizing the factual nature of the content presented.
Japan's isolationist policy prior to the mid-19th century is contrasted with its rapid modernization and military success against larger nations.
The unequal treaties and foreign influence in China during the 19th century are discussed, illustrating the exploitation and suffering of the Chinese people.
Japan's desire for recognition and equality by Western powers is contrasted with the racial biases and colonial interests that hindered this recognition.
The rise of Japanese militarism and fascism in the 1930s is detailed, showing the ideological underpinnings of their actions during World War II.
Unit 731 and its leader Shiro Ishii are introduced as central figures in the development and use of chemical and biological warfare against China.
The inhumane experiments conducted by Unit 731, including exposure to diseases, chemical agents, and extreme conditions, are described.
The video discusses the immunity granted to Shiro Ishii and members of Unit 731 by the United States, highlighting the controversial decision to protect them for potential future use.
The legacy of Unit 731 and its impact on post-war Japan, including reunions of its members, is briefly mentioned.
The video emphasizes the importance of understanding historical atrocities to prevent their recurrence, stressing the role of education and awareness.
The role of the media, education, and mass rallies in promoting Japanese ethnocentrism and militarism is discussed.
The Chinese perspective on Japan's historical actions, including feelings of exploitation and resentment, is briefly touched upon.
The video provides a historical context for understanding the actions of the Japanese military in China, including the invasion and occupation.
The impact of Western influence on Japan, including the adoption of Western fashion and culture, is contrasted with Japanese traditionalism and conservatism.
The video calls for an open-minded approach to historical research, urging viewers to conduct their own investigations into the events presented.
Transcripts
many videos we produce at a day in
history cover topics many people don't
know much about some of these events
have been largely forgotten or ignored
over time sometimes this forgetting
isn't simply the product of time but of
politics and peculiar National and
ethnic blind spots today's video covers
one of those latter topics
some of our more recent videos covering
topics such as the Romanian part in the
Holocaust the rape of non-king and our
videos on the Holocaust itself have
started with very explicit warnings
about the videos as content this episode
of a day in history is no different and
perhaps warrants a more serious caution
about what you're about to see this
video is the story of a relatively
forgotten and horrible place in China
where human beings were treated in many
ways worse than lab animals by other
human beings please use discretion when
watching this video it's only for adults
or older teens watching with adults
after watching our video on the Nan King
event some commenters decided without
any proof that we were spreading Chinese
Communist propaganda first none of what
we reported is untrue It All Happened do
your own research and find out second
the writer of that and this ripped lived
in Japan for a time and taught there he
had nothing but admiration for Japan and
the Japanese of today 21st century Japan
resembles 1940s Japan as much as today's
Germany resembles the Nazi era that is
not at all but the Japanese of the World
War II era committed horrible crimes
facts are facts
horrible atrocities have occurred in
almost every nation and culture in
history they occur most often when
ordered and encouraged by the country's
leadership unfortunately one of the
things we have learned through history
is that many people will become absolute
brutes and monsters when they're
encouraged to do so or know they will
face no legal consequences for their
actions at least not from their
government
[Music]
foreign
has a unique history from the early 17th
century until the mid-19th century the
island nation was isolated from the
World by order of the ruling Shoguns the
military leaders who ruled in the name
of the emperor foreigners were only
allowed on one small island near
Nagasaki and no Japanese at all were
allowed to leave ever this all changed
in
1853-54 when American naval officer
Matthew C Perry forcibly opened Japan to
International Trade what the naval
officers and Marines in Perry's Fleet
saw when they came ashore in Japan
shocked them Japan had been suspended in
time since the early 1600s it buildings
clothing and especially weapons were 200
years behind America and the Western
World at the same time China was
becoming almost a vassal state of
European countries sections of the
country were under virtual foreign Rule
and the Chinese had been forced to sign
a series of what historians call the
unequal treaties foreigners enjoyed
favorable trade conditions which allowed
them to profit greatly while many
Chinese suffered additionally in those
parts of China known as concessions
under European control or influence
European citizens and soldiers and later
Americans were subject to their own law
not that of China this included crimes
committed against Chinese for all of
these reasons and more the Japanese were
determined not to let that happen to
their own country playing one nation
against another and occasionally using
the threat of violent uprisings against
the Western Powers who came to trade in
Japan while at the same time
understanding the limits of their own
power and compromising with the West
when necessary the Japanese set
themselves two main goals to modernize
their country as quickly as possible and
to prevent the Western countries from
doing to Japan what they were doing in
China after a period of civil Strife the
emperor Meiji was given executive power
over the nation and the Shoguns were no
more from 1871 until 1905 the Japanese
went from a country living in the 1600s
to a modern industrial nation with
modern Armed Forces to the surprise of
everyone except the Japanese Japan won
two Wars in 1896 against China in
1905-05 against the Russian Empire the
Russian defeat shocked the world and
Japan wanted to be seen as an equal by
the modern Western powers
unfortunately Japan and the West saw the
world differently to a large degree one
of the ways in which they did so had to
do with race and ethnicity long leading
the world in military strength
technology and economics the West was
reluctant to see the Japanese as equals
much of this had to do with racial bias
some of it stemmed from the idea that
the Japanese learned much from the
Europeans the Japanese had seen their
Nation rise from a primarily backward
agricultural nation into a growing
industrial power they had defeated two
much larger countries China had long
looked down on the Japanese as a
tributary nation and the Russians
believe that their more modern Army Navy
and soldiers would easily defeat the
small Japanese they didn't know that the
Japanese armed forces were more modern
than the Russians their troops better
trained and their generals more skilled
the Japanese were proud of their victory
over Russia it showed the world that
Japan was equal to any Western Nation
unfortunately many Japanese believed
that they had been shortchanged by the
Western powers in the talks that ended
these wars the trade rights and
territorial concessions received after
the defeat of the Russians discouraged
many Japanese they believed that they
had won and deserved more for their
victory in World War One the Japanese
sided with the Allies keeping German
Naval forces bottled up in the Pacific
and China for their effort which was
relatively small the Japanese gained
control of the few German possessions in
the Pacific and even this was not enough
for many Japanese two groups of people
took the blame for Japan's perceived
lack of respect the civilian government
and the Western Powers many Japanese
believe the Europeans especially
conspired to keep Japan down to a large
degree this was true a powerful and
close by Japan could threaten British
Dutch French and American colonies in
business interests in Asia the
westernization of Japanese cities was
added to the complaints of many Japanese
especially the conservative military
Western fashion especially that for
women was taking over many women began
to press for equal rights and more jobs
outside the home baseball and jazz music
were two of the more popular pastimes in
Japan and baseball still is why are we
telling you all this in a video about
Japanese atrocities in World War II
China because there is no making sense
of what happened unless you know what
caused them by the early 1930s Japan had
become a military dictatorship through
the 1930s and the first half of the 40s
Japan became a fascist country as
dangerous to its citizens as it was to
its neighbors promoted by the Japanese
military government through the media
education Mass rallies and Its Behavior
were ideas of Japan Japanese ethnic
superiority the importance of obedience
and loyalty to the emperor to the point
of death and a new version of what
conservative Japanese believed to be the
guiding principles of the Samurai among
these principles were the Loyalty unto
death just mentioned any disdain for
anything not Japanese this Bushido code
resembled the ways of the ancient
Samurai mostly in name only the people
who bore the brunt of Japanese
ethnocentrism were the Chinese for
centuries the Chinese had demanded and
received tribute from the Japanese in
one form or another as a result Chinese
culture dominated Japan and though
Japanese culture became unique over time
many of its religious ideas writing and
cultural characteristics had Chinese
Roots by the 20th century Most Japanese
saw themselves much like a child who had
grown up to be more powerful and
advanced than their parents combined
with the ideas we just mentioned the
Japanese in China behaved much like the
Nazis did in occupied Europe Superior
and without regard for human life that
wasn't Japanese in 1931 the Japanese
conquered the Chinese territory of
Manchuria in 1936 they invaded China and
soon overran most of the eastern part of
the country especially the coastal
cities the treatment of the Chinese who
found themselves under Japanese
Occupation was abysmal to say the least
one brutal atrocity followed another the
best known of which was the infamous
rape of non-king in 1937.
the Japanese exploited the Chinese under
their control economically China also
became one vast laboratory its people
were subject to not only Modern Warfare
but were subjects for the Japanese
military to learn about chemical and
biological weapons the war itself cost
China millions of people but in the
military and among civilians the
estimates of Chinese losses from 1936 to
45 range from 10 to 20 million people
doing his best to increase that total
was a monster named Shiro ishii ishi
like Mengele and Auschwitz was a doctor
he was born in 1892 into an established
middle class family and became a doctor
in 1921 he joined the army as a surgeon
ishi was fascinated by the process of
infection and after a trip to the
battlefields of World War One Europe
became interested in the possibilities
of chemical and biological weapons
after spending two years on World War
One battlefields and talking with the
doctors and officers who had fought on
them ishi was recognized as an expert in
the field of weapons of mass destruction
in 1936 ishi was ordered to form a new
unit the unit's official name was number
731 water purification unit but was
referred to as Unit 731 then and now
ishi was joined by a number of other
doctors including his second in command
Dr hisato Yoshimura there were other
doctors on the staff and a company or
more of gods and assistants unit 731's
Home was an old fortress and prison camp
near the northern Chinese city of Harbin
up to 1 000 people could be housed
inside the Fortress complex at any one
time from the time of its Inception
until the end of the war Unit 731 killed
anywhere between 2 and 300 000 people
please look in our video about the rape
of non-king for more on the problems
with estimating Chinese casualties
during the war most of those victims
were killed or allowed to die not by
firing squad hanging or other common
forms of executions the vast majority
were not gassed as the Nazis did to
their victims in the death camps of
Poland no most of the victims of Unit
731 died as a result of experiments
developed by ishi Yoshimura and others
these experiments in death came in many
forms it's estimated that thousands of
Chinese in the surrounding areas were
killed when Unit 731 released a variety
of germs on the unsuspecting populace
these diseases included plague typhus
smallpox prisoners were injected with
tuberculosis cholera gonorrhea syphilis
and were made to have dysentery flea
bombs filled with plague infested
insects were released in towns and
Villages children were given food
poisoned with a variety of deadly
chemicals their bodies were then
dissected and studied massive doses of
tetanus vaccine which caused people to
go into uncontrollable muscle spasms
that often led to death were
administered within the prison doctors
and soldiers wore protective suits at
times outside it figures in other
worldly biosuits would roam over areas
of Countryside strewn with dead and
dying people not to help but to see how
lethal long-lasting and effective their
biological weapons were experiments
included exposure to incredible amounts
of x-rays the radioactive Burns within
and without the body were studied after
the victims had died of this exposure
many of the people who were dying of the
diseases given to them by the members of
Unit 731 were examined before their
deaths when we say examined we mean that
they were cut open in various ways and
parts of their bodies with no anesthetic
Ichi and his staff wanted to witness the
process of infection before serious
internal and external infections said it
and they believed that decomposition
would affect or skewed their results
some experiments which theoretically
having some kind of purpose seem to be
created simply from Pure sadism people
were burned to death with flamethrowers
they were exposed to chemical warfare
agents exposed means they had these
agents thrown on their naked bodies or
forced down their throats and other
orifices female prisoners were raped
some of them by male Prisoners the
stated purpose to study the possibility
of conception even while infected with
deadly diseases including syphilis and
gonorrhea many of the guards were also
infected by raping prisoners though they
were officially forbidden to have sexual
contact with them like the Nazi doctors
is she and his men exposed people to
freezing temperature and low pressure
Chambers they also induced heart attacks
forced abortions on prisoners and women
who live nearby and conducted surgeries
that are right out of a nightmare arms
removed and legs sewn in their place the
removal of sexual organs Etc the list is
almost endless and includes many more
instances of sadism some of which we
caution you are even more disturbing
than what has already been described in
this video
when the war ended in September 1945
ishi was in Japan he was arrested by U.S
authorities as were a number of his
accomplices as was the case with a
number of wanted Nazi war criminals ishi
was given immunity from prosecution
again he was given immunity from
prosecution by the United States
military government why because the U.S
believed that it was possible that some
of the data collected by ishi during the
war could be of use to America in any
future conflict Yes you heard that right
ishi died peacefully in 1959. a number
of ishi's officers and men were captured
by the Soviets when they invaded
northern China in the last days of the
war amazingly they received prison terms
not executions despite some of them
receiving sentences of 20 or more years
or were repatriated to Japan in the
1950s in a Soviet effort to improve
relations with Japan members of Unit 731
openly held reunions in Japan after the
war it's hard to like a video like this
but if you found it interesting please
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