Eight-Nation Alliance

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Military of the Powers during the Boxer Rebellion, with their naval flags, from left to right: Italy, United States, France, Austria-Hungary, Japan, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia. Japanese print, 1900.

The Eight-Nation Alliance (simplified Chinese: 八国联军; traditional Chinese: 八國聯軍; pinyin: bāgúo liánjūn) was an alliance of 8 nations (Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) which put down the Boxer Rebellion in China in 1900. The troops looted the capital and thousands of citizens died during the campaign.

At the end of the campaign, the imperial government was forced to sign the unequal Boxer Protocol of 1901.^[1]

[edit] Leading factors

At the end of the 19th century, resentment towards foreigners was on the rise due to continued foreign involvement within China, extraterritorial legal and trading privileges and influence over China, with Empress Dowager Cixi's passive approval. The Chinese coastline was cut up into spheres of influence for each of the eight nations. Invasion by the Eight-Nation alliance was carried out throughout the entire Eastern region of China.

Pillage and destruction of ancient, cultural artifacts and buildings created resentment. These resentments grew to the extent that destruction and violence against foreign companies, personnel, and even items such as violins, automobiles, phone lines etc. was carried out. Diplomats were assassinated, businesses vandalized and items were set on fire in the streets. Although the Qing government formally condemned these violent actions, they failed to prosecute the people that carried out the acts.

With their commercial interests in China under threat and the necessity to relieve the joint legations under siege in Beijing by the Boxers, the eight-nation alliance sent troops to suppress the uprising.

[edit] Events

Troops of the eight countries invaded and occupied Beijing on August 14, 1900. Empress Dowager Cixi, the Emperor, and higher officials fled the Imperial Palace for Xi'an, and sent Li Hongzhang for peace talks.

Participants of the Eight-Nation Alliance were responsible for the ransacking and pillaging of many historical artifacts of Chinese origin, such as those found in the Summer Palace, and instigated the burning of many prominent Chinese buildings in an effort to rout the Boxer rebels. "Following the taking of Peking, troops from the international force, except British and American, looted the capital city and even ransacked the Forbidden City, with many Chinese treasures finding their way back to Europe."^[2] However, the neutrality of the statement is questionable, since the British Museum has one of the finest Chinese Artifacts Collections in the world. ^[3]

[edit] Austro-Hungarian contribution

As a member of the Allied nations, the Austro-Hungarian Navy sent two training ships and the cruisers SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresia, SMS Kaiserin Elisabeth, SMS Aspern, and SMS Zenta and a company of marines to the North China coast in April 1900, based at the Russia concession of Port Arthur.

In June they helped hold the Tianjin railway against Boxer forces, and also fired upon several armed junks on the Hai River near Tong-Tcheou. They also took part in the seizure of the Taku Forts commanding the approaches to Tianjin, and the boarding and capture of four Chinese destroyers by Capt. Roger Keyes of HMS Fame. In all K.u.K forces suffered only several casualties during the rebellion.

After the uprising a cruiser was maintained permanently on the China station and a detachment of marines was deployed at the embassy in Peking.

Lieutenant Georg Ritter von Trapp, made famous in the musical The Sound of Music, was decorated for bravery aboard the SMS Kaiserin und Königin Maria Theresa during the Rebellion.

[edit] Perception by modern Chinese

This event is viewed as an act of foreign aggression by some Chinese.^[4] The events have been made into film a number of times.

Though the reaction of the Boxers against foreign imperialism in China is regarded by some as patriotic, the violence that the Alliance caused in committing acts of murder, robbery, vandalism and arson cannot be considered much different from the events of other rebellions in China. However, the actions of the Eight-Nation Alliance soldiers, who committed similar acts of looting, murder, and rape after taking over the capital city are considered even more morally abhorrent by the Chinese.

In January 2006, Freezing Point, a weekly supplement to the China Youth Daily newspaper, was closed partly due to its running of an essay by Yuan Weishi, a history professor at Zhongshan University, who criticized the way in which the Boxer Rebellion and 19th century history about foreign interaction with China is now portrayed in Chinese textbooks and taught at school. ^[4]

[edit] See also

• Boxer Rebellion
• G8

[edit] References