The Eight-power Allied Forces Through Foreigners' Camera

China Before the Invasion of the
Eight-Power Allied Forces

The Entering of
Envoys and Legation Guards into Beijing

First Setbacks of
the Allied Forces
and the Capture of Tianjin

The Capture of
Beijing by the
Eight-Power Allied Forces

The War Before Negotiations and the Signing of the
Protocol of 1901

China Under the Protocol of 1901

German Field Marshall Alfred Graf von Waldersee (1832-1904) was elected commander-in-chief in August 1900 while he was in Germany. In late September he came to China to take up the office. Shortly afterwards he directed the Allied Forces to attack the Qing government forces, expanding the war. He said frankly, "To make diplomatic maneuvers to work, large-scale military action must be taken" in order to pressure the Qing Government to make more concessions on the negotiating table.