NORTHERN CHINA’S OPPOSITION AGAINST JAPANESE AND WESTERN INFLUENCE THE BOXER REBELLION (1899-1901)
By: Jan van den Bos, Curator: DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History
While South-Africa and Britain were engaged in a war (1899-1902) in southern Africa, a group of young peasants in the northern parts of China, attacked and killed foreigners, diplomats, European missionaries and Chinese Christians. The protestors rebelled against imperialism, foreign expansion, converted Chinese nationalists (traitors) and Chinese Christians, who, for instance, immorally transformed the ancient temple of the Emperor of Jade, dating back to 1076, into a church. While breaking old temple and cultural traditions, the rebels also believed the intruders were depriving them of work opportunities. This uprising, with over 1,000 followers, escalated into a two-year conflict that became known as the Boxer Rebellion.
Countries with strong economies, such as Japan, and some western nations expanded their economic interest by obtaining more and more concessions in China. Japan also operated, for example, under the protection of its own laws at Chinese ports. Some European countries obtained exclusive mining rights in China. Britain, for example dominated the trade and industrial sectors in the Yangtze valley, located in northern China (MacMillan: 2013, p. 41).
The ruling Qing dynasty (1644-1912) initially showed little interest in the Boxers, despite the widespread support for their ideologies. However, when the Boxers’ actions turned into genocide and became uncontrollable, the authority’s Imperial army, opposed the rioters.
Foreign dominated powers
An incident in which two German Catholic missionaries were murdered by rebels in November 1897, caused Germany, one of the European powers in northern China, to withdraw from the Bay of Jiaozhou, southeast of Beijing. Instead of foreigners fleeing the scene, the scramble for new territories and concessions followed, even beyond the popular northern parts of China.
Britain obtained an extension of its Hong Kong colony (the new territories, southeast of China) and the naval base city of Weihaiwei, at the Shadong Peninsula in the east. France, for instance, gained the Guangzhouwan territory and established a strong influence in the Yunnan province in the southwest of China. Russia who already controlled the Chinese eastern railways in Manchuria in northeast China, also obtained the city of Dialan, north of Weihaiwei. Japan acquired concessions in different cities, with its main concession in Tianjin, south of Beijing. The Italians also gained a fortification concession with full colonial rights at Tianjin.
In early 1900, impoverished youth, armed with spears, swords and a few hunting rifles, gathered in the Shandong and Zhili provinces of northern China to restore what they believed to be Chinese domination and culture. The French pressured the Chinese Imperial authorities to protect Christian communities, a demand the authorities conceded to but failed to fulfil.
When the American Minister to China, Edwin H. Conger contacted the United States asking for military assistants, and Britain called for protection against refugees, assembling points were established and defended. The Legation Quarter in Beijing took refuge of almost 473 foreigners and 3,000 Chinese Christians. A total of 400 soldiers from eight different countries, armed with weapons and artillery intervened and garrisoned inside the Legation Quarter. A division of the Qing Imperial forces, armed with European rifles, accompanied the defence. As violence escalated, many of these countries augmented their military forces.
The international relief force
The Eight Nation Alliance (depicted below), a relief force composed of the British Empire, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, the United States and Austria-Hungary, set ashore on the northern coast of China at Bohai. From there, troops were transported by railway to Beijing in northern China.
Banner to commemorate the Boxer Rebellion
Upper arch: Remembrance of the United Campaign China,
Below: 1900 -1901
Centre: British Coat-of-Arms
The top right flag with corner Union Jack (the British Army)
The top left flag with corner Union Jack (the British Navy)
Flags, left, top to bottom: USA, Russia, Italy
Right: top to bottom: Germany, France, Austria-Hungarian, Chinese Imperial flag
Below: Cruiser, Symbolises the international navy
(Source: HG 5136, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History: Flag collection)
The British Empire
British forces of about 10,000 troops, the third largest of the alliance, defended Beijing and the surrounding areas of northern China. The Naval Brigade, one of eleven British units involved, arranged two battleships, five cruisers and two destroyers to participate in the suppression of the uprising. Since Britain’s involvement in the Anglo-Boer War in South Africa, most of the troops in China were drawn from the British colony of India.
Russia
The second largest force, consisting of 12,400 troops from two garrisons and commanded by Admiral YI Alekseyev, came from Russia. Alekseyev also negotiated with the Chinese military governor in Shenyang to end Chinese sovereignty over the Manchuria area, placing it under Russian control. This arrangement included a guarantee for a shortcut across northern China for the Trans-Siberian Railway.
Japan
Japan disembarked more than 20,000 troops at Tianjin, northern China, making it the largest contingent within the alliance. The Imperial Navy also contributed 18 warships, an impressive presence of yet another country in eastern Asia who opposed the actions of rioters in northern China.
France
Between September and October 1900, France dispatched three battalions, totalling more than 3,000 troops, to northern China. The increase of Boxers along the railway line between Tianjin and Beijing became a concern. Despite the presence of troops, the Boxers were still able to destroy a section of this crucial transportation system.
Germany
The German forces included a naval battalion of 1,120 men, a naval artillery battery of about 800, and an East Asian sailor detachment. The first troops arrived at the end of September 1900, too late to participate in major actions.
Italy
Despite other concessions, the Italians also demanded a concession at the east coast bay of San Mun near Zhejiang in 1898. Although China declined this request, a squadron of over 1,800 Italian troops remained in the vicinity. When the Boxer Rebellion intensified in June 1900, Italian cruisers and warships assisted in defending the Taku forts and Catholic gathering places.
In August 1900, a larger contingent of over 2,000 troops, including six different regiments with machine guns and field guns, as well as engineers, joined the Italian forces already in China.
United States
The United States entered China as part of a Relief Expedition to protect Americans working for Chinese engineering and mining companies. To help suppress the Boxer Rebellion, the US Army deployed two warships along with two regiments of artillery and cavalry.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungarian troops with three cruisers, defended the northern Tianjin railway line and Fort Taku in northeast China. They also captured four Chinese destroyers, which operated against the Imperial government.
Conclusion
The Boxer Rebellion officially ended with the signing of the Boxer Protocol on 7 September 1901. Boxer leaders and Chinese imperial officials involved in the uprising were to be punished, and foreign troops were required to remain stationed in China. Additionally, China was obligated to pay more than 330 million dollars to the foreign nations involved.
According to the provenance attached to the donated object, the donor emphasized the role of British Imperialism in South Africa, which contributed to the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War. British Imperialism also extended to other parts of the world. After the Anglo-Boer War, South Africa came under British rule. The banner serves as evidence of yet another instance of foreign involvement in a different country.
Sources
MacMillan, M., The war that ended peace. How Europe abandoned peace for the First World War. Profile Books Ltd, London, 2013.
