THE BOXER REBELLION (1898 and 1901)

Welcome to your new topic, which we will study from this week until the end of the
term. This topic will culminate in a formative examination which consists of multiple
choice questions and an extended response.
In this course, these are the skills you will be assessed upon:
1. Knowledge & understanding of course content
2. Source based skills
3. Communication
4. Historical Inquiry & research
Every week you will be assessed on the development of the skills above.
Weekly Outline
Week 6: Background to the Boxer Rebellion
1. The Manchu Qing dynasty
2. Reforming the dynasty
3. Foreign concessions in China
4. America opens the door
5. Growing civil unrest
Week 7: Rise of the Boxers
1. Massacre of missionaries, Chinese Christians and foreigners
2. Empress Dowager Cixi and the Boxers
3. Siege of the Embassies
Week 8: Foreign intervention
1. The Seymour Expedition
2. Gaselee Expedition
3. Evacuation of Imperial Court from Beijing to Xi'an
4. Russian invasion of Manchuria
Week 9: Aftermath of the Rebellion
1. Boxer Protocol
2. End of the Manchu Qing dynasty
Week 10: Historiography
1. Rebellion or uprising?
2. Empress Dowager Cixi

The short story:

1. Various European nations had concessions in China, dominating the foreign
trade and affecting the domestic economy.
2. As foreign commercial domination generated domestic turmoil in China, a
radical anti-foreigner movement blending spiritualism and martial arts
launched the Boxer Rebellion.
3. The Boxers, also known as the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists
(known as Boxers, grew as a proto-nationalist movement to oppose foreign
imperialism and Christianity. Also known as the Yihetuan uprising or
movement. Yihetuan literally means the "Righteous Harmony Society".
4. The Boxers massacred numerous foreigners and Christian missionaries.
5. The Boxers besieged diplomatic missions in Peking. German ambassador
Klemens von Ketteler was killed in the attacks.
6. Given the financial interests at stake, the European countries formed the
Eight-Nation Alliance.
7. The next day, Chinas Dowager Empress declared war against the EightNation Alliance.
8. Within two months, Peking (Beijing) was under foreign occupation and the
Boxers were defeated.
9. The Europeans imposed a humiliating peace upon December that forced
China to execute all supporters of the Rebellion, expand the area of the
European concessions, and to repay 450 million taels of silvermore than the
government's annual tax revenue as indemnity over 38 years to the eight
nations involved. This is the Boxer Protocol.
10. The rebellion was violently suppressed and was a decisive factor in the
collapse of the ancient Manchu Qing dynasty.