The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Yihetuan Movement, started in Northern China in late 1899 and was largely suppressed by foreign troops in 1901. It was a violent uprising by a secret society known as the Righteous and Harmonious Fists (or Boxers) who wanted to expel foreigners from their country and restore the Ming Dynasty.
At the beginning of the 20th century, China was in a fragile state of political and social unrest. The Qing Dynasty, which had been in power since 1644, was rapidly losing its legitimacy with the people, and there were increasing calls for reform and widespread dissatisfaction with foreign influence, particularly from Christian missionaries and Western traders. When attempts at reform were met with resistance and suppression, many resorted to violence and public demonstrations in an attempt to bring about change.
The Boxer Rebellion began on November 26, 1899 when several hundred members of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists gathered in Shandong province to oppose foreign influence. They began to target Christian missionaries and Western-influenced Chinese citizens and businesses, and this violence quickly spread to other parts of the country.
The Boxers began to gain support from some members of the government and it wasn’t long before their movement had become a serious threat to foreign powers. In response, 8 nations including Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy and the United States sent a combined military force of over 70,000 soldiers to China to put down the rebellion.
The Battle of Beijing was the climax of the rebellion, where the allied forces bombarded the capital city and eventually forced the Boxers to retreat. On August 14, 1901, the Boxers and their supporters finally surrendered, ending the conflict. Over 20,000 Boxers were killed in the conflict and millions of dollars of property damage was done.
In the aftermath of the Rebellion, a period of what has been called the “Reorganization of China” began. It included territorial concessions to various foreign powers, reparations of war damages, an end to extra-territorial rights of foreign nationals, the expulsion of missionaries and the dismantling of many Chinese dynastic institutions. This is seen by many as marking the beginning of China’s period of modern history and the emergence of China as a major world power.