The Japanese army had been fighting for several months from the coast to the then capital of China, Nanking. The Chinese army abandoned the city for the most part. However, they left behind some inexperienced troops in order to delay the capture of the city. With the unstoppable advance of the Japanese forces and their brutal assault on the city, many of the new troops tore off their uniforms and hid among the populace. The Japanese after taking the city, proceeded to kill most of the Chinese troops taking no prisoners, even those who surrendered or were disarmed. But their aggression was not limited to potential combatants. They also killed thousands of civilians, men whom could possibly be soldiers, women, children and even infants. They also raped ten of thousands of women of every age, as well as committing acts of genital mutilation, looting, and arson (Lee). Even though foreigners living within the city tried to established a safety zone the Japanese simply removed the civilians from the zone by the hundreds at gunpoint and killed them outside it.