Silbey, David J. The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in China. New York: Hill and Wang, 2012.
The BoxerRebellion of 1899-1900, a formative event in Chinese history and imperialism
within East Asia, was a violent uprising against the rising influence of
foreigners. Russian, Japanese, German, American, Italian, French, Austrian, and
British troops joined in the campaign to stamp out the Rebellion. In The Boxer Rebellion and the Great Game in
China. David J. Silbey’s central theme is the competition between the
imperial powers, all attempting to gain more influence in China. Each nation
contributed to joint military operations, but each nation’s imperial ambitions
determined their actions. Despite eventual success, mistakes during the
conflict and the occupation arose as the imperial powers attempted to gain an
advantage against each other. Imperial ambitions led to a Great Game in which
“Imperial rivalries overwhelmed military good sense” (199). On the northwest
frontier, Russia and Britain had long used intrigue and strategy through the
Great Game to control Central Asian territories both considered necessary.
China remained one of the last imperialistic targets, with each nation vying
for an upper hand.
Silbey also
examines the violence and motives of the Boxers. Shouting the slogan, “Support
the Qing, exterminate the foreigners,” the Boxers massacred Chinese Christians
and missionaries and eventually laid siege to the foreign legations within
Beijing (34). While the Boxers used extreme violence, Silbey demonstrates that
the Rebellion was a logical response from peasants threatened by natural
disasters, technology, and foreigners. The expansion of railroads led to the
loss of employment for many peasants, who previously worked as laborers and
boatmen on the canals. The railway completely refashioned the Chinese economy
and displaced multitudes from their occupations. Reporter Wilbur Chamberlain
expressed the frustration of the common Chinese laborer, “One railroad takes
the place of a thousand or ten thousand coolies, who have, like their ancestors
for generations, been carrying freight for a living. These coolies are thrown
out of employment.” (39). In addition
to the loss of employment, Chinese farmers faced difficulties from a drought
followed by a flood in Shandong province in 1898-1899. Meat was scarce, and
most lived just above starvation level (50). Both man-made and natural disasters
compounded the misery of the typical Chinese citizen.
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| Boxers from Alpha History |
The
presence of Christian missionaries and their Chinese converts caused great
anxiety among many Chinese. European nations supported their missionaries and
Chinese converts against disputes with other Chinese. While the missionaries
brought benefits such as Western education and medicine to China, cultural
insensitivity often caused rising temperatures among neighbors. The presence of
missionaries created an “alternative power structure” within Chinese
communities causing deep resentment among many communities (43). The Chinese
government, headed by the Empress Dowager Cixi, found itself constrained by a
need for reform and hatred toward foreigners. The Empress feared suppressing
the insurrection owing to the great popularity of the Boxers among the majority
of Chinese. Concurrently, the Empress feared the consequences of mass unrest
but hoped to use the Boxers against foreign outsiders. Hence, the
government reacted with confusion.
The
military victory of the allied foreign powers was arduous, with the first
relief expedition failing and the attempt to capture Beijing more complicated
than often reported. While the Boxer massacres of Christians were savage, the
foreign reprisals featured rape, looting, and indiscriminate killings. The
Boxer Rebellion served as an example of patriotism to future revolutionaries as
diverse as Sun Yixian and Mao Zedong (235). For these future leaders, the
Boxers became a template on which to draw their own ideals and values. The
mistrust exhibited by the foreign powers forecast struggles yet to come.
Any
cooperation displayed during the rebellion dissolved into total war with the
start of World War I. The efficiency displayed by Japanese troops foretold the
defeat the Japanese laid upon the Russians in the Russo-Japanese War. The
British and Germans began a naval race, with both nations building giant
dreadnaughts. The Boxer Rebellion saw the end of the Victorian Era as QueenVictoria died before the signing
Silbey
performs an admirable job in his descriptions of the military campaigns of the
Allied powers and draws upon a wide variety of American and British primary
sources. However, the lack of sources from other European nations and Chinese
sources leads one to desire a more comprehensive work on the Rebellion, drawing
upon sources from all the major players. Detailed maps would also be welcome. In
addition, while the endnotes are helpful, the lack of a bibliography handicaps
the reader in any examination of the author’s sources. Silbey provides an
engaging and readable account of this important event in Chinese and Imperial
history with an emphasis on the military campaigns. However, a more complete
volume utilizing the sources of all the participants is still needed.
Rob
Leverett
1 May 2023
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