The Boxer Rebellion was a violent anti-foreign, anti-imperialist uprising that began in China during the late 19th century. The rebellion lasted from November 1899 to September 7th, 1901 and was ultimately unsuccessful in achieving its ultimate aims.
The roots of the Boxer Rebellion lie in the cultural and political turmoil that marked the transition of China from an isolated, agrarian society to one exposed to foreign influences and modern economic practices. In 1860, Britain, France, the United States, and Russia forced China to open its ports to trade. This “unequal treaty” set the stage for other foreign powers to establish missionaries, factories, and trading settlements in China. As foreign traders and military forces began to intrude on Chinese soil, nationalist sentiment fueled resentment against all Europeans and Americans.
In response to this perceived threat, the Qing government declared martial law in the northern provinces in 1899. This measure was soon followed by the formation of the “Boxer” movement, a militant organization of Chinese peasants that sought to expel all foreigners from China. The group was led by a secretive, quasi-religious organization called the Righteous Harmony Society, whose members were given the name “Boxers.”
The Boxers were composed mainly of laymen with ties to secret societies, as well as suspiciously well-armed bands of soldiers with connections to anti-dynastic revolutionaries. Their rhetoric was infused with religious symbolism, as the Boxers believed their actions were divinely mandated and would lead to a new era of Chinese greatness.
The Boxers began their rebellion by attacking Christian missionaries and Chinese converts and then ramped up their attacks to include foreign factories and settlements, railway stations, and telegraph lines. In June 1900, the Boxers seized Beijing and declared it a sacred city, closing off communications to and from the outside world.
Diplomat Johann Palme von Teeling described the chaos of the Boxer Rebellion: ” Foreigners were hunted down and killed…Chinese who had committed the grave error of associating with a foreigner or befriending a Christian were slain by the score. Christians were driven out of their homes and chased through the streets.”
In response to this violence, the foreign powers moved militarily against the Boxers and their Qing backers. Eight nations—Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Austria-Hungary, the United States, and Russia—declared war on the Qing, who were ultimately defeated.
The Boxers were crushed and the rebels punished, including with executions and banishment to Siberia. In the end, the Boxer Rebellion achieved nothing but further humiliation for the Chinese people and revealed just how far behind the times the Qing dynasty had fallen.