Katherine Lai
Dijana Koprivica Redshaw
Asian History 1A
3rd Dec 2014
Research Paper: The Boxer Rebellion and why it is Important
The Boxer Rebellion of 1898 is important, as it was a pivotal episode in China’s strained relationship with the foreigners. It was the result of unfairness for the Chinese at the hands of the foreigners, the cause of war and casualties and later became the reason behind the Chinese resentment towards the West.
In the last half of the 19th century, prior to the Boxer Rebellion of 1898, China suffered from "humiliating blows at the hand of foreign powers” (Lai and Brown 193). The Opium Wars had “exposed the inferiority of China’s military against foreign powers; the treaties that ended the wars showed a pattern …show more content…
In May, 1900, troops were sent to China by Western powers to protect their citizens, and on the 21st of June of the same year, the Empress Dowager Cixi chose to support the Boxers; she declared war against the foreign powers. On the 4th of August 1900, a “foreign army composed of about 20,000 troops arrived from Japan, Russia, Britain, the United States and France” (Lai and Brown 194). The war was gruesome; “[foreigners] burned historical buildings, robbed China of its national treasures and many private properties, killed many Chinese, and raped Chinese women” (Xu). The casualties included: 2,500 foreign soldiers and 2,000 Imperial troops. 100,000 civilians in total were killed by Boxers, 32,000 of this number were Chinese Christians and over 200 were missionaries. 5,000 civilians were killed by foreign soldiers (Gale World History in Context 2). Because of the Boxer Rebellion, China became involved in a war between the foreigners and Western powers; both sides faced consequences of thousands of deaths. This demonstrates the resentment the Chinese had for the foreigners, as they were willing to go to such lengths to be rid of the
Dijana Koprivica Redshaw
Asian History 1A
3rd Dec 2014
Research Paper: The Boxer Rebellion and why it is Important
The Boxer Rebellion of 1898 is important, as it was a pivotal episode in China’s strained relationship with the foreigners. It was the result of unfairness for the Chinese at the hands of the foreigners, the cause of war and casualties and later became the reason behind the Chinese resentment towards the West.
In the last half of the 19th century, prior to the Boxer Rebellion of 1898, China suffered from "humiliating blows at the hand of foreign powers” (Lai and Brown 193). The Opium Wars had “exposed the inferiority of China’s military against foreign powers; the treaties that ended the wars showed a pattern …show more content…
In May, 1900, troops were sent to China by Western powers to protect their citizens, and on the 21st of June of the same year, the Empress Dowager Cixi chose to support the Boxers; she declared war against the foreign powers. On the 4th of August 1900, a “foreign army composed of about 20,000 troops arrived from Japan, Russia, Britain, the United States and France” (Lai and Brown 194). The war was gruesome; “[foreigners] burned historical buildings, robbed China of its national treasures and many private properties, killed many Chinese, and raped Chinese women” (Xu). The casualties included: 2,500 foreign soldiers and 2,000 Imperial troops. 100,000 civilians in total were killed by Boxers, 32,000 of this number were Chinese Christians and over 200 were missionaries. 5,000 civilians were killed by foreign soldiers (Gale World History in Context 2). Because of the Boxer Rebellion, China became involved in a war between the foreigners and Western powers; both sides faced consequences of thousands of deaths. This demonstrates the resentment the Chinese had for the foreigners, as they were willing to go to such lengths to be rid of the