Description

The Siege of the International Legations was a pivotal event during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, in which foreign diplomatic compounds in Peking were besieged by Chinese Boxers and Qing Dynasty troops. The Boxers, fueled by anti-foreign and anti-Christian sentiments, targeted foreigners and Chinese Christians, causing approximately 900 soldiers, sailors, marines, and civilians from various nations, along with about 2,800 Chinese Christians, to seek refuge in the Legation Quarter. The Qing government, initially ambivalent, ultimately supported the Boxers following international military actions. The siege lasted 55 days, marked by intense combat and a brief truce, until an international relief force arrived from the coast, defeated the Qing forces, and lifted the siege. The failure of the siege and the subsequent occupation of Peking by foreign powers significantly weakened the Boxer Rebellion, leading to its eventual suppression, and increased foreign influence and intervention in China.