In 1900, China was in the first stages of this great 20th century revolution
that it was going to go through. The 300-year Manchu Dynasty was on its last
legs and it was clear that the Manchus could not control the uprisings that
were occurring in the interior of China. These uprisings were particularly
focused against Western businesses and Western missionaries. And a lot of
anarchy in China that erupts in 1900, particularly, of course, the Boxer
Rebellion, this great rebellion that begins to target foreigners, including
Americans, originates in many of the areas of China where, for example, Western
railroad builders are working, or where Western missionaries have been
crusading throughout the 1890s. And the Manchus can not control this
rebellion. As a result, what the Boxers do is began to murder American
missionaries and other missionaries.
China, quite clearly was unable to govern itself, was unable to order its
society by 1900. One of the most surprising things that had happened in the
1890s was the Japanese defeat of the Chinese military. No one had looked for
this in 1894-95, and the speed with which the Japanese destroyed the Chinese
military I think was a revelation to most foreign observers. They did not
realize what hollow shell China, and particularly the Chinese military was
until the Japanese destroyed the Chinese fleet and military in 1894 and '95.
So that by 1900, China is essentially looked at as a nation and a people that
can not defend itself. Later, China would be described as a "bone among the
dogs". The dogs in this case are, of course, the imperial powers. And the
United States is one of the dogs competing for the bone.
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