Boxer Uprising: Eight-Nation Alliance invades China
1900 · Dagu, Tianjin, and Beijing · China · Early modern
After taking the Dagu Forts, the coalition advanced north along the railway. The Qing army and the Boxers resisted repeatedly along the Tianjin-Beijing route but could not stop it. The coalition stormed Beijing, and Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi'an, taking the Guangxu Emperor with her.
Belligerents
Eight-Nation Alliance
- Commanders
- Alfred von Waldersee, Edward Seymour
- Strength
- The eight powers, including Britain, Russia, Japan, France, Germany and the United States, sending troops together
Qing army and Boxers
- Commanders
- Nie Shicheng, Dong Fuxiang
- Strength
- Qing troops and Boxers, unevenly equipped
Background
Under the slogan "Support the Qing, destroy the foreigners," the Boxers spread rapidly across North China, and the powers organized a joint expedition on the grounds of protecting their legations and nationals.
Course of the battle
- Dagu Forts takenThe coalition fleet captured the Dagu Forts and landed at Tianjin.
- Battle of TianjinThe Qing army and the Boxers put up stubborn resistance in and around Tianjin.
- Storming BeijingThe coalition advanced along the canal and the railway and broke into Beijing.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1900 |
|---|---|
| Place | Dagu, Tianjin, and Beijing |
| Result | After taking the Dagu Forts, the coalition advanced north along the railway. The Qing army and the Boxers resisted repeatedly along the Tianjin-Beijing route but could not stop it. The coalition stormed Beijing, and Empress Dowager Cixi fled to Xi'an, taking the Guangxu Emperor with her. |
| Winner | Eight-Nation Alliance |
| Casualties | Qing commanders such as Nie Shicheng were killed in battle, the Boxers and civilians suffered heavy casualties, and Beijing was badly plundered and damaged. |
| Territorial change | The Qing court was forced to sign the Boxer Protocol, allowing the powers to station troops along key routes between Beijing and Tianjin and paying a huge indemnity, and the authority of Qing rule declined further. |
Impact
The authority of the Qing government was badly damaged, and the signing of the Boxer Protocol deepened China's semi-colonial status.
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