The Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer RebellionThe Boxer RebellionOn which group did the Boxers On which group did the Boxers

focus their attention?focus their attention?

The Boxer’s RebellionThe Boxer’s RebellionQuestions to be Questions to be addressed:addressed:– China before the BoxersChina before the Boxers– Origins Origins – Nature/purposesNature/purposes– Composition Composition – ExpansionExpansion– Violence as a result of the Violence as a result of the

BoxersBoxers– SettlementSettlement– Reassessment Reassessment

The Boxer RebellionThe Boxer RebellionWhat was the Boxer Rebellion?What was the Boxer Rebellion?

Nationalist movement (late 19Nationalist movement (late 19thth century) century) Boxer war (1900-1901) Boxer war (1900-1901) Contact with Western countriesContact with Western countries

Img source: http://www.sacu.org/boxers.html

Sun Yat Sen’s Nationalist Sun Yat Sen’s Nationalist MovementMovement

Main goals: Main goals: – To make China a modern To make China a modern

state.state.– Create national unity in Create national unity in

ChinaChina– Create a more democratic Create a more democratic

China China – Get foreign powers out of Get foreign powers out of

ChinaChina

What started it?What started it?

Christian missionaries - entered China in the Christian missionaries - entered China in the early 19th centuryearly 19th century

Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism - favoured Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism - favoured religions religions

‘‘The Society of Righteous Fists’, or ‘Boxers’The Society of Righteous Fists’, or ‘Boxers’ Pressure from foreign powersPressure from foreign powers Opium tradingOpium trading

Qing China Confronted the WestQing China Confronted the West

Western powers Western powers proved to be a proved to be a formidable formidable threat to Qing threat to Qing government government China began to China began to

suffer from suffer from another wave of another wave of foreign invasion, foreign invasion, this time from this time from EuropeEurope

Allies soldiers slaughtered boxers

Boxer War:Boxer War:

Confrontation b/w 'Eight Nation Alliance' (Russia, Confrontation b/w 'Eight Nation Alliance' (Russia, Japan, USA, Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Japan, USA, Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy) and the Boxers.Hungary, Italy) and the Boxers.

21st of June 1900 - The Qing government declared 21st of June 1900 - The Qing government declared war on all Christians and allied foreignerswar on all Christians and allied foreigners

The 'Siege of Peking' The 'Siege of Peking'

Img source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/china-postcard/4510532354/sizes/o/in/photostream/

Before the Boxers: China Before the Boxers: China Crucified Crucified

During 1898 and 1899, foreign powers During 1898 and 1899, foreign powers intensified their pressures and outrages on intensified their pressures and outrages on ChinaChinaThe GermansThe Germans occupied Qingdao occupied QingdaoThe BritishThe British took over Weihaiwei took over Weihaiwei

Also forced the Qing to lease a large area of fertile Also forced the Qing to lease a large area of fertile farmland on the Kowloon peninsula north of Hong farmland on the Kowloon peninsula north of Hong Kong for 99 years, which the British called “The Kong for 99 years, which the British called “The New Territories”New Territories”

The RussiansThe Russians occupied L occupied Lüshunüshun

The FrenchThe French claimed special rights in China’s claimed special rights in China’s southwesten provinces and on the island of Hainansouthwesten provinces and on the island of Hainan

The JapaneseThe Japanese, already masters of Taiwan, , already masters of Taiwan, intensified their economic penetration of central intensified their economic penetration of central ChinaChina

The USThe US wanted China to declare an “open door” wanted China to declare an “open door” policy, under the terms of which all countries agree policy, under the terms of which all countries agree not to deny others’ access to not to deny others’ access to their spheres of their spheres of influencesinfluences

The Chinese began to fear that their country was The Chinese began to fear that their country was about to be “carved up like a melon” (about to be “carved up like a melon” (guafenguafen))

The Boxer RebellionThe Boxer RebellionMany Chinese resented the western influence Many Chinese resented the western influence

in China which led to the Boxer Rebellion to, in China which led to the Boxer Rebellion to, ““drive out the foreign devilsdrive out the foreign devils”. ”.

The Boxers attacked foreigners across China. The Boxers attacked foreigners across China. They were defeated by the European powers, They were defeated by the European powers,

the U.S. and Japan.the U.S. and Japan.

Boxers in Tianjin

• Early phase of the Boxers—Restore the Han and Destroy the Manchus

The Boxer Uprising (1898-1901)The Boxer Uprising (1898-1901)

““ The Boxers The Boxers United in United in Righteousness” Righteousness” ((YihequanYihequan) ) appeared as an appeared as an expression of expression of nationalismnationalism Emerged in Emerged in

northwest northwest Shandong in 1898Shandong in 1898

Yellow Dragon Triangular Banner

• A collective A collective force of a variety force of a variety of secret-society of secret-society and self-defense and self-defense units that had units that had spread in spread in southern southern Shandong Shandong previously in previously in response to the response to the provocations of provocations of Western Western missionaries and missionaries and their Chinese their Chinese convertsconverts

• Desperate local Desperate local farmers and workers farmers and workers plagued by flood and plagued by flood and drought joined the force drought joined the force to call for the ending of to call for the ending of special privileges special privileges enjoyed by Christian enjoyed by Christian converts and Christian converts and Christian missionariesmissionaries• By 1898, they had By 1898, they had destroyed/stolen a good destroyed/stolen a good deal of property from deal of property from Chinese Christians and Chinese Christians and had killed several had killed several converts in the converts in the Shandong-Hebei border Shandong-Hebei border areaarea

• Foreigners, Foreigners, alarmed by alarmed by the Boxers the Boxers killing, killing, demanded demanded that the Qing that the Qing suppress the suppress the Boxers and Boxers and their their supporterssupporters

Boxers’ Banner

•The Boxers responded The Boxers responded with a slogan, with a slogan, ““Revive Revive the Qing, destroy the the Qing, destroy the foreignforeign”” •Many boxers believed Many boxers believed they were invulnerable they were invulnerable to swords and bullets in to swords and bullets in combatcombat• ““when at last the when at last the Foreign Devils/Are Foreign Devils/Are expelled to the very last expelled to the very last man/The Great Qing, man/The Great Qing, united, together/Will united, together/Will bring peace to this our bring peace to this our landland”” ––one catchy jingleone catchy jingle

Empress Dowager CixiForeigners killed Chinese during the Boxer Rebellion

The Expansion of the BoxersThe Expansion of the Boxers The Boxers expanded The Boxers expanded

dramaticallydramatically 70 percent were poor peasants, 70 percent were poor peasants,

male and youngmale and young The rest were mixture of The rest were mixture of

itinerants and artisansitinerants and artisans Peddlers, rickshaw men, sedan-Peddlers, rickshaw men, sedan-

chair carriers, canal boatmen, chair carriers, canal boatmen, leather workers, knife sharpeners, leather workers, knife sharpeners, barbers, dismissed soldiers, salt barbers, dismissed soldiers, salt smugglerssmugglers

Joined by female Boxer groups, Joined by female Boxer groups, such as the Red Lanterns Shining such as the Red Lanterns Shining ((Hongdeng zhaoHongdeng zhao))

They harassed or killed They harassed or killed foreigners and Chinese converts, foreigners and Chinese converts, and sometimes even those and sometimes even those possessed foreign objects possessed foreign objects

Qing Declaration of WarQing Declaration of War

Western forces seized the forts at Dagu to provide Western forces seized the forts at Dagu to provide cover for a troop landing, should full-scale war cover for a troop landing, should full-scale war broke out broke out

News of battle at the Dagu ports arrived Beijing, News of battle at the Dagu ports arrived Beijing, which agitated Qing court and Beijing citizenswhich agitated Qing court and Beijing citizensGerman minister was shot dead in the street as he went to German minister was shot dead in the street as he went to

an interview with the Zhongli Yamen, which was in an interview with the Zhongli Yamen, which was in charge of foreign affairscharge of foreign affairs

The Boxers force laid siege to the foreign-legation areasThe Boxers force laid siege to the foreign-legation areasPraising the Boxers as a loyal militia, the empress Praising the Boxers as a loyal militia, the empress

dowager Cixi issued a “declaration of war” against dowager Cixi issued a “declaration of war” against the foreign powersthe foreign powers

Boxers’ Propaganda

Full-Scale War Full-Scale War With the government behind them, the Boxers launched a With the government behind them, the Boxers launched a

series attacks on mission compounds and on foreignersseries attacks on mission compounds and on foreigners In August 1900, the colonial troops of the Allied nations, In August 1900, the colonial troops of the Allied nations,

about 20,000, fought they way through Beijing about 20,000, fought they way through Beijing Soldiers of eight nations sacked the city and burnt imperial palace, Soldiers of eight nations sacked the city and burnt imperial palace,

the Forbidden City, and used it as the headquarters for the foreign the Forbidden City, and used it as the headquarters for the foreign expeditionary forceexpeditionary force

Boxer resistance quickly crumbled, hundreds of thousand were Boxer resistance quickly crumbled, hundreds of thousand were killedkilled

More than two hundred foreigners were killedMore than two hundred foreigners were killed Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu fled to the West, Empress Dowager and Emperor Guangxu fled to the West,

establishing a temporary capital in the city of Xi’anestablishing a temporary capital in the city of Xi’an

Allies Army entered the Gate of the Qing

The US Army, March 1912, after the Boxer Rebellion

Allies Artillery

Foreign soldiers slaughtered boxers in Beijing, summer 1900

Allies taking picture in front of Dehong Lou, Nanhai ; (standing in the center) German Field Marshal Alfred von Waldersee

The Northern Gate of the Forbidden City, Allies’ Victory Parade

Allies holding “occupation ceremony” in front of Golden Water Bridge at Tiananmen, after occupied Beijing in August 15, 1900

“The Invaders” in front of German Embassy

Ruined churches, Beijing

Defensive work in front of and insider the British embassy

Arrested Boxers suspects

Outer City of Beijing, destroyed by British army

Foreign Missionaries in Beijing

Missionaries before the Boxers, often regarded as precursors of European imperialism

Imprisoned Chinese churchmen and missionaries

Empress Dowager, Cixi, returned to Beijing

German soldiers in Yihe Yuan

German army forced Chinese to slave

Chinese slaved by

German soldiers

Japanese artillery in front of the Desheng Gate