The Boxer Rebellion 1900
Key PointsIn 1898 the Yellow River dykes broke
Leads to the flooding of Shandong province, causing widespread hunger and refugees. The government failed to provide much help Due to the focus on the 100 days reformsLocal upset over behaviour of Christian missionaries In particular, German missionaries used the principle of extraterritoriality for their converts, which led to resentment, as well as giving them a bad reputation when shady characters converted to Christianity to avoid punishment in Qing courts. Boxer beliefs The boxers practiced spirit possession, and thought themselves invulnerable to modern weapons (they weren't!) Move to capital city Violence against the foreigners began to start so after governor of Shandong suppressed them in 1899, the boxers began moving to the capital. Involvement of foreign powers The foreign governments sent troops to protect the missionaries. Declaration of war Cixi, thinking the people were behind her, declared war on the foreign powers. Siege of the legation Foreigners in the capital barricaded themselves into the cathedral and the legation quarter for safety. Foreign troops arrive An eight-nation force, principally manned by Japanese troops, sent 20,000 troops to lift the siege, and by the end of the year there were 45,000 foreign troops in China. The Court flees Cixi and the emperor fled by cart to Xi’an hundreds of miles away. The Aftermath The boxers disappeared into the countryside and the foreign troops spent six months raiding villages and towns looking for them. There were many cases of misconduct on the part of the Western troops and mistreatment of Chinese civilians which further spread resentment against the foreign powers. The Boxer Protocol: China given these penalties:
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LinksThe Boxer Rebellion Case Study -Absolutely fantastic, includes historiography A MUST READ!
The Boxer Uprising -Funfront, comprehensive In Our Time: The Boxers -Downloadable podcast Photography Cixi 1903-1904 -From M.I.T. an amazing window into the past Chinese Historiography of the Boxers More on historiography of the Boxers -Includes fantastic Lenin Quote Boxers an overview of historiography -From History Today Password protected The Boxer Rebellion from the Economist -Very interesting modern perspective The Boxer Rebellion from Alpha History Primary Source: The Boxers |