Chinese Boxer Rebellion: History’s First Global Military Alliance!

In 1899, a secret Chinese society called the Boxers launched a violent uprising. Fueled by anti-foreigner anger and resentment over Christian missionary work and partly because foreign powers had seized Chinese land. They believed martial arts could make them bulletproof. The Boxers attacked foreigners and Chinese Christians, burning churches and killing thousands.
In 1900, eight world powers—Britain, France, Germany, Russia, the U.S., Japan, Italy, and Austria-Hungary—formed a rare alliance. Rivals in other wars, they now marched together, sending tens of thousands of troops to China. They crushed the rebellion, capturing Beijing and ending the uprising.
In 1901, the Boxer Protocol was signed. China was forced to pay massive reparations, allow foreign troops in key areas, and accept foreign control over parts of its territory especially Manchuria, where Russian troops marched in and stayed.
This humiliation weakened the Qing Dynasty, already on its last legs. Ten years later, in 1911, the dynasty fell. The Republic of China was born, marking the end of 2,000 years of imperial rule.
The Boxer Rebellion was more than a failed uprising, it was a turning point. For the first time, nearly all major world powers united in military action… and China paid the price.
background music: "Legionnaire" by Scott Buckley.
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