▁An zen ku , ▁ 南 京 安 全 地 <0xE5> <0xB8> <0xAF> , ▁N ank in ▁An zen ch it ai ) ▁was ▁a ▁dem il itar ized ▁zone ▁for ▁Chinese ▁civ ili ans ▁set ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁e ve ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁break through ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁N ank ing ▁( Dec ember ▁ 1 3 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 ). ▁Following ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁Jes uit ▁Father ▁Robert ▁Jac quin ot ▁de ▁Bes ange ▁in ▁Shang hai , ▁the ▁foreign ers ▁in ▁N ank ing ▁created ▁the ▁N ank ing ▁Saf ety ▁Zone , ▁managed ▁by ▁the ▁International ▁Committee ▁for ▁the ▁N ank ing ▁Saf ety ▁Zone ▁led ▁by ▁German ▁business man ▁and ▁Naz i ▁party ▁member , ▁John ▁R abe . ▁The ▁zone ▁and ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁International ▁Committee ▁were ▁responsible ▁for ▁saving ▁the ▁lives ▁of ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Chinese ▁civ ili ans ▁during ▁the ▁N ank ing ▁Mass acre . ▁ ▁Ev acu ation ▁of ▁N ank ing ▁Many ▁Western ers ▁were ▁living ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁at ▁that ▁time , ▁conduct ing ▁trade ▁or ▁on ▁mission ary ▁tri ps . ▁As ▁the ▁Japanese ▁army ▁began ▁to ▁approach ▁N ank ing , ▁the ▁Chinese ▁government ▁depart ed , ▁moving ▁to ▁the ▁trans itional ▁capital ▁of ▁H ank ow . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁foreign ers ▁in ▁N ank ing ▁fled ▁the ▁city ▁as ▁well . ▁However , ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁Western ers ▁chose ▁to ▁remain ▁behind . ▁It ▁is ▁not