What happened during the Boxer Rebellion in China?

NARRATOR: The Boxers were a resistance group, whose primary aim was to evict all the Europeans from China. The movement started in the countryside, as successive poor harvests impoverished ever more Chinese families. The Boxers trained themselves in fighting techniques and even claimed to be in possession of special powers. They vowed to rid China of all Europeans. On the pretext of protecting Christian missionaries from the wrath of the Boxers, the German Navy entered the waters off the province of Shandong. Their real motive, however, was to occupy this part of China and establish a German colony.

PROFESSOR LANXIN XIANG: "The local commander thought this was just another friendly port call. Because they had many foreign port calls - that was nothing new there. He was not very well informed about what the Germans actually intended to do."

NARRATOR: The Chinese Government, meanwhile, paid little attention to either the Germans or the Boxers. This was an important time of reform for the Imperial Government and they already had their hands full with other acts of rebellion. Similarly, in the diplomatic quarter of Beijing where the privileged Europeans lived, life went on as normal.

The Boxer Rebellion, however, was spreading and the Government was forced to act. They chose to tolerate the powerful Boxer movement, in large part to avoid the Boxers turning on the Government itself. The Boxers swept through the countryside before marching into the cities. Under pressure, the government panicked and ordered their own troops to support the Boxers.

The European diplomats, meanwhile, called for their own reinforcements. Marines from eight nations were deployed to support and protect the Europeans in Beijing. In an attempt to avoid further disturbances, the Chinese Government requested the diplomats to leave Beijing within 24 hours, under the protection of Imperial troops. Suddenly and without warning, however, a shot rang out and a German envoy was hit. The situation escalated. Boxers and Government troops planned an attack on the diplomatic quarter. At the same time, the European troops advanced through the streets of Beijing. The diplomats were now trapped in their own district. Faced with this hopeless situation, the Chinese Imperial court fled the city. Their dynasty was now in its dying days.

XIANG: "The Boxer Rebellion is the most humiliating event in Chinese history. This is the one big historical event where the Chinese lost almost everything, including their morality."

NARRATOR: Beijing fell the following day to the European troops and the diplomats could freely leave their district at the end of 55 days of seige.