Matsui Iwane

Matsui Iwane was appointed commander of the Japanese Shanghai Expeditionary Army in August 1937. He led the invasion of Shanghai, a brutal three-month battle that resulted in massive Chinese casualties and the fall of the city to Japanese forces.

Matsui commanded Japanese forces during the capture of Nanjing in December 1937. His troops committed widespread atrocities, including mass murder, rape, and looting, known as the Nanjing Massacre, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians and prisoners of war.

Matsui Iwane was tried by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East and found guilty of war crimes for failing to prevent the Nanjing Massacre. He was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on December 23, 1948.