The Boxer Rebellion was a violent uprising of Chinese militant nationalists in northern China against Western imperialism that occurred during the late 19th century. The rebellion was stimulated by a combination of foreign imperialist exploitation, internal discontent, religious fervor and xenophobia. By 1900, the vast empire of Imperial China had been weakened by centuries of dynastic decline, a series of military defeats, and invasive foreign powers. After a series of losses in wars against Britain, France, Japan, and Russia, China was forced to sign the Unequal Treaties, granting unequal trading privileges and extraterritoriality rights to foreign powers. These humiliating treaties sparked a grassroots movement that offered a unified voice of resistance against what was seen as a deep humiliation and insult to the Chinese people.
At the same time, religion played an important role in the rebellion. In 1890, a group of Chinese rebels called the Boxers (known in Chinese as the “Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists”) emerged in Shandong Province. Comprising both peasants and martial artists, the Boxers were inflamed by a belief that they were invincible, capable of deflecting bullets and repelling the Western forces. This intense religious fervor further inspired other Chinese to take up arms, leading to a rapid growth of the Boxer movement over the course of several years.
Domestically, the Boxer Movement was supported by the wilting Qing Dynasty and allied with some conservative elements in the Chinese government who sought to reassert traditional culture and values. During this period, traditional Confucian values such as loyalty and filial piety were heavily emphasized, while Christian missionaries and their converts were seen as corrupting and undermining Chinese culture. As the Boxer movement grew, the Chinese government began to support its activities, encouraging members to attack foreigners and those who had converted to Christianity.
Internationally, the Boxer Rebellion was supported by a coalition of foreign powers that included Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Japan. Each country had its own motives for supporting the rebellion, but the most important factor was the need to protect their spheres of influence in China. Similarly, the United States was drawn into the conflict due to its own economic interests, leading to the dispatch of an American battleship, the USS Oregon, in 1900.
The conflict between the Boxers and foreign powers reached a climax in June 1900 when the imperial government declared war on the foreign legations in Beijing. Over the course of the summer, the city was besieged by Boxers and Chinese troops, leading to a prolonged standoff that was only broken when a coalition of international forces lifted the siege. Following the victory, the Qing Dynasty was compelled to sign the Boxer Protocol which compelled China to pay massive reparations for damages inflicted during the conflict.
Ultimately, the Boxer Rebellion highlighted the deep resentment of foreign domination that had built up during the 19th century and ultimately resulted in increased tensions between China and the West. It also exacerbated the already existing mistrust between the Chinese government and its people, leading to greater calls for reform and broader autonomy from foreign powers. Although the uprising ended without any major changes to the region, it revealed the great resentment and frustration felt by many Chinese citizens with the unequal treaties and foreign exploitation that had long been imposed upon them.