boxer war

The War (or revolt) of the Boxers was an anti-Christian and anti-Western popular uprising of a xenophobic and traditionalist character, which took place in practically all the provinces of northern China between the end of 1899 and 1900.

The Boxer War took place during the Qing Dynasty, with the aim of expelling foreigners from Chinese territories. This rebellion had the covert support of the local authorities and the Empress Tzu-Hsi herself.

The Boxers

The Boxers (named by Western foreigners in analogy to boxing) are one of several other secret Chinese sects that called themselves “Yihequan ” (Fists of Justice and Concord), an ultranationalist group dedicated to Chinese boxing, which was displayed as a show of force in rural areas, to recruit young men and unemployed due to the drought.

Causes and Consequences

With the Chinese defeat in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), several territories such as Taiwan and Manchuria were lost. Furthermore, with the weakening of Chinese imperial power, Korea declared its independence from China.

Furthermore, the economic exploitation carried out by the Western powers, which flooded China with modern products and Western values, generated revolt among the Chinese population.

Among the most controversial situations are the granting of legal and economic privileges to foreigners, such as extraterritoriality, which exempted them from Chinese law.

Furthermore, structural reasons such as vulnerability to catastrophes, widespread poverty, as well as the inability of the Qing government to control violence in the region also motivated the revolt.

With the end of the revolt, China had to accept impositions from Western powers, such as:the execution by Chinese hands of politicians and military linked to the Boxers; the prohibition of any activity hostile to foreigners, as well as the importation of weapons; handing over military forts and railroads to foreign control; in addition to a heavy indemnity to be paid to the victors.

Key Features

At first, the Boxer War was limited to small acts of sabotage against the symbols of Western power (such as telegraph lines or railways, for example), however, in a short time the uprising became more aggressive and began to assassinate Christian missionaries and converts, as well as European citizens, including members of diplomacy, plundering their homes and establishments. As a result of the war, we had more than 230 casualties among foreigners and thousands among Chinese Christians.

Historical Context

Although acts of vandalism had already spread across northern China, the trigger for the war came in Shandong province on June 17, 1900, when the Boxers besieged foreign diplomatic facilities in Beijing for two months.

In response, the Western powers (Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, the United States and Japan) sent some 20,000 troops to take the city of Beijing. This invasion of allied troops was considered disrespectful by the empress, who declares war on the powers

Thus, between July and August, there is an intense fight between the foreign forces and the boxers, reinforced by soldiers of the imperial army. Imperial forces and insurgents are defeated on August 14, 1900, and the capital is taken and sacked, including the "Forbidden City". This situation forces the imperial power to capitulate on September 7, 1901, and to accept the terms of surrender provided for by the “Peking Protocol”.