The Rise of the Boxers and Cixi’s Growing Obsession
The origins of the Boxer Rebellion trace back to the late 19th century, when anti-foreign sentiment simmered across China. The Boxers, a secret society known as the “Righteous and Harmonious Fists,” emerged in Shandong Province, blending martial arts with mystical beliefs. They claimed supernatural powers—immunity to bullets, the ability to summon divine warriors—and directed their fury against Christian missionaries and Chinese converts, whom they blamed for China’s woes.
Empress Dowager Cixi, the de facto ruler of the Qing Dynasty, initially wavered in her stance toward the Boxers. However, after witnessing a demonstration of their supposed invincibility—arranged by the hawkish Prince Duan—she became convinced they could expel foreign powers from China. Cixi, known for her superstitious leanings, saw the Boxers as divinely sanctioned defenders of the empire. By June 1900, she abandoned her summer retreat at the Yiheyuan (Summer Palace) and returned to the Forbidden City, signaling her alignment with the Boxer cause.
The Illusion of Control and Diplomatic Deception
Before leaving the Yiheyuan, Cixi issued an edict condemning the Boxers—a hollow gesture meant to placate foreign diplomats. The decree acknowledged historical tensions between missionaries and locals but stopped short of decisive action. Meanwhile, Boxer ranks swelled in Beijing, attacking churches and Chinese Christians with impunity.
Foreign legations grew increasingly alarmed. On June 10, British Minister Claude MacDonald requested military reinforcements from Admiral Edward Seymour in Tianjin. But as telegraph lines were severed and railways sabotaged, Beijing became isolated. By mid-June, the legation quarter was under siege. The killing of German diplomat Baron Clemens von Ketteler on June 20 marked the point of no return.
The Qing Court’s Fractured Response
Cixi convened a pivotal council on June 16. Prince Duan and conservative Manchu officials urged war, citing the Boxers’ “divine power.” Only a few, like the reform-minded Prince Su and diplomat Xu Jingcheng, dared oppose them. When Emperor Guangxu tearfully warned that war would doom the dynasty, Cixi ignored him. The next day, she issued a de facto declaration of war, praising the Boxers as patriots and blaming foreigners for China’s humiliation since the Opium Wars.
Yet contradictions abounded. While northern China descended into chaos, southern viceroys like Li Hongzhang ignored Beijing’s orders, negotiating the “Southeast Mutual Protection” agreement to avoid conflict. Even Cixi hedged her bets; by July, she secretly reinstated Li as Viceroy of Zhili to negotiate with foreigners.
The Siege of the Legations and the Fall of Beijing
For 55 days, the Boxers and Qing troops besieged the legation quarter. Attacks were erratic—sometimes ferocious, sometimes half-hearted—reflecting divisions within the court. By August, Allied forces marched on Beijing. The city fell with shocking ease on August 14; only Japanese troops faced significant resistance. Cixi, disguised as a peasant, fled west with Guangxu, leaving behind a ransacked Forbidden City.
Aftermath and Historical Reckoning
The Boxer Protocol (1901) imposed crushing reparations and further eroded Qing sovereignty. Cixi, though politically rehabilitated, never regained her former authority. The rebellion exposed the dynasty’s fatal weaknesses: xenophobic conservatism, military incompetence, and the impossibility of resisting modernization.
For modern historians, the Boxer Uprising remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of ideological fervor and the perils of resisting global change. Cixi’s gamble—backing the Boxers to expel foreigners—accelerated the Qing collapse and paved the way for China’s revolutionary upheavals.