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John Rabe Paper Ian Henley Professor Thalhammer April 18, 2018 John Rabe: A Test of Inconsistencies in Resistance to Injustice Abstract This research involves discovering the motivations and mindset behind a notable mid- ranking member of the Nazi party, John Rabe, who risked his life and livelihood in order to save over 250,000 civilians from the Japanese military during the course of the Nanking massacre. While concurrently being complicit in the lead-up and actions of the holocaust. The goal is to show that, contrary to the assertions of some scholars, such as KR Monroe, resistance to injustice is not necessarily a consistent trait, and may very well depend on other factors beyond that of pure altruism. This has been done by examining the historical facts of the “Rape of Nanking” concurrently with the extensive diary accounts written by John Rabe in order to determine his personal beliefs and mindset during the course of not only the Nanking invasion, but of the final years of World War II, during which time he resided in Berlin. Upon examination, it becomes clear that John Rabe appeared to be an relatively moralistic individual, if not at the very least arrogant with hints of racially-driven superiority. While his actions to save civilians were driven largely by the will to do “the right thing”, it appears there were also egotistical motivations behind it as well. Comparisons to his involvement with the Nazi party reveal slightly more complex traits. With, at first glance, his membership appearing to come from a misled conception of nationalistic socialism, but still showing his permissibility and sometimes outright participation in anti-semitic tendencies. This leads the research to the ultimate conclusion that while some scholars believe that altruism is consistent is not incorrect, there are many shades of gray that have not been accounted for, such as the lack of information in the present, one’s sense of belonging, as well as any ingrained, narcissistic traits imprinted into an individual. Introduction As a German businessman working for Siemens Co., running theNanking office branch, John Rabe was a particularly uninteresting and unremarkable man. And he would have remained this way had he not outgrown that mundane role for a brief period of six months during which he placed, and often risked, his life in the service of roughly 250,000 Chinese noncombatants during the invasion and occupation of Nanking during the Second Sino-Japanese war. This in itself makes for a remarkable act by one man, worthy of commendation by any stretch of the !1 imagination, however, this is further complicated by the fact that John Rabe was also a notable mid-ranking member of the Nazi party, at one point serving as the party's local head, holding the rank of Deputy Group Leader in the Nationalist Socialist Party. This brings about the knowledge that, as a staunch Nazi, he was also complicit in one of the worst genocidal atrocities known to mankind. This presents the question, why did John Rabe tolerate one case of human rights atrocities, yet was unable to stand by and do nothing for another? And does this case study in resistor motivations contradict the common assessment that altruism is a consistent trait found within individuals? Review of Literature: Because John Rabe serves as such an odd example among resistors to injustices, there have been a good number of articles and various materials documenting his experiences and actions. The first introduction comes from the man himself, in the form of the extensive diaries he kept while in China, as well as during his time in Berlin at the end stages of World War II.1 These journals allow a look inside the mind and mannerisms of a man who by all accounts was reserved and private to the point of obscurity. In looking through this, you’re able to garner information on everything from his views and relationships with the Chinese, other expatriates, the occupying Japanese forces, and the circumstances surrounding all parties involved. Later on, as comparison, he also keeps a limited record of his experiences living back in Berlin as the Russians were moving in, giving not only his accounts of events but also delving into his thoughts on the various truths which came out during the immediate aftermath of the War. Revisiting the Wound of a Nation: The ‘Good Nazi’ John Rabe and the Nanking Massacre, authored by the Qinna Shen and published by Bryn Mawr College,2 is a valuable resource in terms of the philosophical aspects of this issue. It offers a perspective evaluating, through Rabe’s extensive personal letters, his affiliations with the Nazi party in contrast to his actions during the Nanking massacre, which arguably saved hundreds of thousands of lives. It views Rabe in a new light, and gives special consideration towards the modern views of Nazism, and his personal beliefs in the Nazi party at the time, all while tying in world events during the mid-20th century. Qinna Shen eventually posits that it is not valid to write off a man for his immoral beliefs when his actions led to a positive good. The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, written by Iris Chang,3 mentions John Rabe, and at times even delves into the details surrounding his involvement, the 1 Rabe, J., & Woods, J. E. (1998). The Good Man of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe (pp. 1-326). New York, NY: Alfred A. knopf, Inc. 2 Shen, Q. (2011, November). Revisiting the Wound of a Nation: The “Good Nazi” John Rabe and the Nanking Massacre. In Seminar: A Journal of Germanic Studies (Vol. 47, No. 5, pp. 661-680). University of Toronto Press Incorporated. Retrieved from https://repository.brynmawr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi? article=1013&context=german_pubs 3 Chang, I. (n.d.). The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II (pp. 1-215). New York, NY: Perseus Books Group. !2 main purpose of this book is to provide the main historical context of the events of the Nanking Massacre. This provides information to fill in the contextual gaps in the sources dealing specifically with John Rabe. Considering that this was used mainly for acquiring the historical facts necessary for the completion of this research, there is not much in the way of evaluation concerning presentation and insights. "But What Else Could I Do?" Choice, Identity and a Cognitive-Perceptual Theory of Ethical Political Behavior,4 by Kristen Renwick Monroe, asks the key question on which this research revolves: is resistance a consistent trait? In this article, Monroe reviewed case study evidence on the causes of certain political behaviors unexplained by standard political theories or ethics-based theories. The brunt of the evidence comes from subject's descriptions of their personal actions toward Jews during World War II, including their actual testimony from both rescuers and non-rescuers. Through this study, Monroe made the determination that there are clear differences in the world outlooks and self-perception of subjects who were rescuers during the holocaust and those who weren’t, which leads her to believe that resistance is a trait that, more than likely, would be consistent across the board for an individual. Life of John Rabe John Rabe was born in Hamburg, Germany on 23 November 1882.5 Not much is known about his early life, yet he came into the records when he first began working for a Hamburg export firm, and then in 1911 when he joined Siemens AG6 branch in Peking, where he remained throughout the first World War, even when, under pressure from Allied countries, China declared war on Germany in 1917.7 However, this situation changed in 1919, when, under pressure from the British, he was repatriated to Germany along with all his fellow countrymen. German competition was not wanted in China at this point. It wasn’t enough to hold him away, because only a year later he returned to China via the backdoor of Japan and reestablished the Siemens branch in Peking under the cover of a Chinese firm, until Siemens China Company was permitted to reopen, with it’s main office in Shanghai. Siemens Co. was the main contractor who built the city’s [Nanking] telephone system 4 Monroe, K. R., & Epperson, C. (1994). "But what else could I do?" Choice, identity and a cognitive-perceptual theory of ethical political behavior. Political Psychology, 15(2), 201-226. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3791738 5 Rabe, J., & Woods, J. E. (1998). The Good Man of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe (pp. 1-326). New York, NY: Alfred A. knopf, Inc. pg. vii 6 German conglomerate company headquartered in Berlin and Munich, holding the title as the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe 7 Rabe, J., & Woods, J. E. (1998). The Good Man of Nanking: The Diaries of John Rabe (pp. 1-326). New York, NY: Alfred A. knopf, Inc. pg. vii !3 and the turbines of it’s electrical power plant; it also supplied the hospitals with German equipment. Rabe’s role in all this was spent at various governmental ministries trying to win further contracts for Siemens.8 Ultimately, taking the risk of setting up illegitimate shop served him well, as he was first appointed to work in Peking and Tientsin, but from 1931 on, was appointed the director of the branch in Nanking, which at the time was the capital of China. Largely, he lived the mundane, conventional and altogether unexciting life of a businessman, and would have continued on had John Rabe not outgrown that banal role for a period of six months in 1937 when he placed, and often risked, his life in the service of 250,000 Chinese noncombatants.9 After this brief period the firm called him home in March 1938 and transferred him to its main offices in Berlin, where, despite his years of service, was not given any position of any real responsibility.
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