She hoped to control foreign influence in China.
She hoped to control foreign influence in China.
The Dowager Empress Cixi's support for the Boxers, a nationalist and anti-foreign secret society, significantly contributed to the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Her endorsement of their violent actions against foreign powers and Chinese Christians was seen as a betrayal by many, leading to widespread unrest and discontent among various social groups. This act fueled resentment towards the Qing dynasty, as many believed it exacerbated foreign intervention and weakened China's sovereignty. Ultimately, her support for the Boxers alienated both reformists and moderates, increasing dissatisfaction with her rule.
When the Boxers attacked China was referred to as the Boxers Rebellion.
The Boxers, so called by Europeans, who observed that the ill-equipped rebels often fought with their fists, rose up in opposition to foreign influence in China. During the second half of the 19th Century, the weak Qing Dynasty was forced to make a series of "unequal treaties" with foreign powers, which allowed for exploitative trade agreements, Christian missionaries, and legal immunity for foreigners. The Boxers attacked foreign merchants, missionaries, and Chinese Christians, who had converted under the tutelage of Western missionaries. Foreign embassies were placed under siege, and the Chinese military split on whether to help the Boxers or to put down the rebellion. After a Western and Japanese intervention force put down the rebellion, Chinese authorities claimed they opposed the Boxers all along, but in reality, the Empress Dowager and some of her generals supported the uprising, while other generals fought the Boxers.
Their cause, at first, was to overthrow the imperial Ch'ing government and expel all "foreign devils" from China. The crafty empress, however, saw a way to use the Boxers. Through her ministers, she began to encourage the Boxers. Soon a new slogan -- "Support the Ch'ing; destroy the foreigner!" -- appeared upon the Boxers' banner.
Why the boxed of course.
The Chinese dowager empress Tz'u-hsi, the aunt of Emperor Kuang-hsu, ordered her troops to block the advance of this expedition. The foreigners were turned back. Meanwhile, Boxers were rampaging in Peking, burning down churches and the houses of Westerners, and killing Chinese Christians.
The Boxers attacked Western-owned factories The Boxers attacked churches and railroads. The Boxers wanted to end Western influence.
The Boxers attacked Western-owned factories.
The reason the "Boxers" were called Boxers is because during the rebellion the boxers had banners and on the banners was a black closed fist so the people getting attacked thought they were boxers
They were known as, Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists, and it was called 'The Boxer Uprising' or 'The Boxer Rebellion' and it happened in 1900.
The boxers involved in the Boxer Rebellion were part of a secret society known as the Yihequan, which translates to "Righteous and Harmonious Fists." The term "Boxers" was used by Westerners to describe them due to their martial arts practices. The movement primarily consisted of Chinese peasants who were frustrated with foreign influence and missionary activities in China. Their name reflects their belief in a blend of traditional Chinese customs and a desire to resist foreign domination.