The Boxer Rebellion

The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Movement, was a violent Chinese uprising during the latter days of Imperial China. It was in response to the perceieved intrusion of foreign influence into Imperial China. The rebellion was fomented by a group called "The Society of Right and Harmonious Fists," called Boxers by foreigners in response to their dedication to martial arts.

Fighting lasted for nearly two years, and involved members of the Boxers supplemented by Chinese Imperial troops as they fought against foreign soldiers sent by the Eight-Nation Alliance, eight Western countries who sought to protect their interests in China.

• Boxers: 50,000 - 100,000
• Imperial troops: Unknown

• Eight-Nation Alliance: 2,500
• Foreigners and Chinese Christians: 526

• Total civilians: 18,952+

Total defeat at the hands of a coalition of Western countries led to widespread resentment towards the Imperial Chinese government's perceived weakness and inability to defend the interests of the people. Within a decade, the Qing Dynasty would collapse, and the Republic of China would be established.

• March 1898: Boxer activity begins in response to German and British occupations and the failure of the Imperial Court's Self-Strengthening Movement

• July 1898: Emperor Guangxu begins the Hundred Days Reform, which will end in a coup d'etat led by conservative forces

• October 1898: As a result of the conservative shift in the Imperial Government, the Boxer's switch their focus from anti-government slogans to foreign groups, such as the China Inland Mission

• January 1900: Under firm influence of a conservative government, Empress Dowager Cixi is forced to officially defend the Boxers

• June 1900: The Boxers, supported by Imperial Troops, attack several foreign compounds in Tianjin and Peking

• June 10, 1900: 2,000 Marines, led by British Vice Admiral Edward Seymour begin moving toward Peking

• June 19, 1900: Facing stiff resistance, Seymour's forces begin their retreat

• June 20, 1900: The envoy of the German Empire, Klemens Freiherr von Ketteler, is murdered by a soldier of the Imperial Army

• June 21, 1900: In response to demands from allied forces for redress, Empress Dowager Cixi declares war on foreign powers in China but regional governors fail to support her

• June 25, 1900: The First Intervention force, led by Seymour, finally completes it's retreat back to Tianjin

• July 17, 1900: The Eight-Nation Alliance, which had been building since June, finally secures Tianjin

• July 27, 1900: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany orders his soldiers to "make the name German remembered in China for a thousand years so that no Chinaman will ever again dare to even squint at a German," an edict that much of the allied force takes to heart

• August 4, 1900: 20,000 of the 52,000 allied troops begin their march to Peking, facing minimal resistance

• August 14, 1900: After fighting through humid temperatures up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the allied forces capture Peking

• September 7, 1901: The Qing court is forced to sign the "Boxer Protocol," ordering for the execution of ten high ranking officials and the payment of over 333 million US dollars in reparations

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