Rise of the Yi Hetuan Movement
Click on the names to hear how they are pronounced8 countries allied forces invasion: The Yi Hetuan was a secret, martial-arts organization that carried out a series of anti-Qing movemnents. This group was formed by average people who were mainly peasants.
The Yi Hetuan began to target their struggles at the imperialist powers by holding the banner of "Support the Dynasty and Exterminate the Foreigners". From the fall of 1899, this group expanded rapidly. Due to the activities of the foregin countries, Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to make use of this group against the foreign invaders. Making use of the situation, the members in Beijing and Tianjin called on to other people in the city to rise against the invaders. The two cities were thus in temporary control of the Yi Hetuan.
Picture of Empress Dowager Cixi
To supress the uprising, 8 countries including Britian, US, Russia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Austria formed combined forces and advanced on Beijing and Tianjin. Yi Hetuan demolished the railway connecting Tianjin and Beijing and escaped barely with many members' lives lost.
The the combined forces framed the Yi Hetuan and tried to spread bad comments about the group, and tried to raise believers to resist the Yi Hetuan. Guards from ambassies also shot at the Yi Hetuan members. Empress Dowager Cixi, tried to seak peace but failed. Seeing that Yi Hetuan cannot be helped, Cixi shamelessly asked the combined forces to exterminate the remaining forces of Yi Hetuan. After defeats and deaths, Yi Hetuan failed.