Why write another Boxer story? There has been no lack of popular history
written on the subject since 1900. Moreover, this unique historical episode has
been comprehensively covered by scholarly books, memoirs and diaries.
Nonetheless, a century has passed, and the storyline of the Boxer War remains
obscure. Hardly any topic in twentieth-century history has so attracted both
mythologizers and academic historians alike. Paul Cohen recently published a
fascinating book, History in Three Keys, The Boxers as Event, Experience and Myth.
Cohen's discussions broadened our knowledge of the subject, but it is my
contention that the first key, the historical event itself, has yet to be set. The
main problem with 'Boxer Studies' has been the emphasis on the so-called
'Boxer Rebellion.' Little has been said ab out the 'Boxer War,' a subject that has
only attracted popular writers.
The current project has taken alm ost ten years. After viewing material from
nine nations plus China, the task of unveiling the mystery appears to be a
formidable one. Cultural understanding and language competence are just two
major obstacles. My original idea was to complete a comprehensive history of
the Boxer War by the year 2000, the centennial of the war. This proved to be
unrealistic. So many countries were involved, so many first-hand materials have
been unused. What has been achieved at this stage, and it is by no means a
complete success, is merely half the story of the Boxer War - the origins. This
is the story up to June 20 1900, when the notorious siege of the foreign
Legations started and war was declared. However, it is the origins that were the
most convoluted and puzzling. The war itself was a relatively straightforward
affair.