Kōki Hirota, as quoted by Robert Sabella et. al. (2002), Nanking 1937: Memory and Healing, M.E. Sharpe, p. 56,
“
I investigated reported Japanese atrocities committed by the Japanese Army in Nanking and elsewhere. Verbal accounts of reliable eyewitnesses and letters from individuals whose credibility is beyond question afford convincing proof that the Japanese Army behaved and is continuing to behave in a fashion reminiscent of Attila and his Huns. Not less than 300,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered, many in cold blood.
— Kōki Hirota on Hunnic Empire
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I investigated reported Japanese atrocities committed by the Japanese Army in Nanking and elsewhere. Verbal accounts of reliable eyewitnesses and letters from individuals whose credibility is beyond question afford convincing proof that the Japanese Army behaved and is continuing to behave in a fashion reminiscent of Attila and his Huns. Not less than 300,000 Chinese civilians were slaughtered, many in cold blood." in the context of "Kōki Hirota, as quoted by Robert Sabella et. al. (2002), Nanking 1937: Memory and Healing, M.E. Sharpe, p. 56," to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Hunnic Empire" (Quotes about the Hunnic Empire)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Kōki Hirota
Kōki Hirota (February 14, 1878 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1936 to 1937. In terms of foreign policy, the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy was signed during his premiership. This treaty was the predecessor to the Tripartite Pact of 1940. He was executed for war crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War at the Tokyo Trials.
About Kōki Hirota
Kōki Hirota (February 14, 1878 – December 23, 1948) was a Japanese diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan from 1936 to 1937. In terms of foreign policy, the Anti-Comintern Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy was signed during his premiership. This treaty was the predecessor to the Tripartite Pact of 1940. He was executed for war crimes committed during the Second Sino-Japanese War at the Tokyo Trials.
View all quotes →