Process Paper
When we were searching for a topic to research for National History Day, we discovered an article addressing the issue of how the Japanese had still not apologized for the horrendous experiments Unit 731 conducted on human beings. As we read the article, our interest for the subject piqued, and we began scouring the Internet for additional information about Unit 731. After discovering how Unit 731 impacted the world, we decided that it would serve as an interesting take on the NHD topic. Shirō Ishii and his colleagues served as trailblazers for modern chemical warfare, and they also exchanged their valuable data with United States. The members of Unit 731 had retained a plethora of information from their extensive research, but only because they were willing to pay price no one else would even consider.
For research, we strived to diversify our sources by using a variety of primary accounts from both the people working in Unit 731 and the people directly harmed by them. A myriad of people were, in some way, affected by Unit 731, and our goal was to capture all of their perspectives and display them in our presentation. For the greater part of the 20th Century, Japanese experimentation during World World II was largely overlooked or forgotten. The topic only resurfaced in the 1980's, when several former members of Unit 731 confessed the gruesome wounds they had to inflict upon prisoners. The moral and ethical flaws presented in their testimonies gained traction, and, as a result, several people today have written some analysis of the horrors that Unit 731 is responsible for. We were able to incorporate these secondary accounts into our website as well.
We chose to use a website for our presentation because we wanted to convey our message through words, images, and videos. The terrible atrocities inflicted by Unit 731 could not just be depicted through words alone. In our opinion, websites are the most organized and efficient type of presentation. A website project was also the most feasible option for us because we have conflicting schedules and could not work together on the project face-to-face.
Unit 731 made a resounding impact on history through its exploration of biochemical warfare. Through extremely unethical methods, the Japanese acquired data that would play a pivotal role in the development of modern medicine. Also, Unit 731's encounter with the United States is unique, as the U.S. exempted its members from war crimes in exchange for information rather then put them on trial. Unit 731 discovered the fine line between "science for the greater good" and "science for those without a morality compass."
For research, we strived to diversify our sources by using a variety of primary accounts from both the people working in Unit 731 and the people directly harmed by them. A myriad of people were, in some way, affected by Unit 731, and our goal was to capture all of their perspectives and display them in our presentation. For the greater part of the 20th Century, Japanese experimentation during World World II was largely overlooked or forgotten. The topic only resurfaced in the 1980's, when several former members of Unit 731 confessed the gruesome wounds they had to inflict upon prisoners. The moral and ethical flaws presented in their testimonies gained traction, and, as a result, several people today have written some analysis of the horrors that Unit 731 is responsible for. We were able to incorporate these secondary accounts into our website as well.
We chose to use a website for our presentation because we wanted to convey our message through words, images, and videos. The terrible atrocities inflicted by Unit 731 could not just be depicted through words alone. In our opinion, websites are the most organized and efficient type of presentation. A website project was also the most feasible option for us because we have conflicting schedules and could not work together on the project face-to-face.
Unit 731 made a resounding impact on history through its exploration of biochemical warfare. Through extremely unethical methods, the Japanese acquired data that would play a pivotal role in the development of modern medicine. Also, Unit 731's encounter with the United States is unique, as the U.S. exempted its members from war crimes in exchange for information rather then put them on trial. Unit 731 discovered the fine line between "science for the greater good" and "science for those without a morality compass."