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Gaselee Expedition

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The Gaselee Expedition was a successful relief by a multi-national military force to march to Beijing and protect the diplomatic legations and foreign nationals in the city from attacks in 1900. The expedition was part of the war of the Boxer Rebellion.

Background

The Boxers were an anti-Christian, anti-foreign rural mass movement. Their objective was to rid China of foreign (Western) influence. In May and early June 1900, they advanced on Beijing.[1][2][3] The Qing government of China was equivocal about the Boxers, fearing that they might become anti-Qing. The Boxers were a serious threat to Western and Japanese citizens and Chinese Christians living in Beijing, Tianjin, and other areas of northern China.

The diplomatic Legations (Embassies) in Beijing requested that marines be sent to protect them; more than 400 from eight countries arrived in Beijing on 31 May. However, as the threat from the Boxers increased, it became apparent that additional soldiers were needed. On 9 June, Sir Claude Maxwell MacDonald the British Minister cabled Vice Admiral Edward Hobart Seymour, commander of the British Navy's China fleet, that the situation in Beijing "was hourly becoming more serious" and that "troops should be landed and all arrangements made for an advance to Peking [Beijing] at once."[4]

On receipt of MacDonald's message, Seymour assembled within 24 hours a force of more than 2,000 sailors and marines from Western and Japanese warships and prepared to embark for Beijing from Tianjin, 75 miles away, by train.[5] His force consisted of 916 British, 455 Germans, 326 Russians, 158 French, 112 Americans, 54 Japanese, 41 Italians, and 26 Austrians.[6] Seymour's Chief of Staff was Captain John Jellicoe. The Commander of the Americans in the expedition was Captain Bowman H. McCalla.

The diplomats in Beijing anticipated that Seymour would arrive there on 11 June, but he didn't. Shortly thereafter, all communications were cut and the Seymour Expedition disappeared in the interior of China.[2] Acting without the Chinese Imperial court's permission, they had, in effect, launched an invasion. The Chinese response was decisive; the Seymour Expedition suffered a disastrous defeat.[7]

The expedition

Allied troops suffered from severe illnesses, unsanitary conditions, diarrhea, flies, and other pests. General Dorwood cautioned advance, urging 60,000 men to be ready before going forward since he witnessed the Chinese pound the Allied forces with their weaponry at Tianjin. The Chinese destroyed the railroads and junk ships to prevent the Allied advance. German Field Marshal Alfred von Waldersee was selected as supreme commander, but he was in Germany with his soldiers. Lieutenant-General Sir Alfred Gaselee was chosen as temporary commander of the expedition because the Alliance was prejudiced against the non-white Japanese General Yamaguchi Motomi even though he was the highest-ranking officer.[8]

Only 2,500 soldiers and marines were on hand to maintain a position some 10 miles (16 km) in length, with all communication with the fleet cut off for a considerable time. But the troops of the Powers were being rushed to the scene with the utmost dispatch possible. Not, however, until 14 July had enough reinforcements arrived from the coast to relieve after severe fighting the beleaguered force and to capture the entire city, which was indispensable as a base of operations against Beijing. Then came another distressing wait before the advance on the capital could begin. This was largely on account of the changed opinions regarding Chinese valor and the effectiveness of their resistance to the Seymour expedition. As it was, the Allies would have tarried at Tianjin for additional reinforcements some weeks longer had not the British and American commanders threatened to proceed alone with their contingents and risk the consequences. Although it was felt, so had the estimation of Chinese prowess been increased, that at least 50,000 troops were necessary, some thought 70,000, successfully to invade the interior, the second relief expedition to Peking finally got under way, on 4 August, The main force was composed of approximately 22,000 troops from the following countries: Japan 10,000; Russia 4,000; Britain 3,000; United States 2,000; France 800; Germany 200; Austria 100; and Italy 100.[9][10][11]

The expedition ended in victory at the Battle of Peking.

Incidents of Allied friendly fire

Allied forces often argued and fought amongst each other, severely criticizing one another's fighting capabilities. Several British Royal Welsh Fusiliers reportedly killed four Germans in a fight, with their commander allegedly imprisoning them for not having murdered enough Germans.[12] French soldiers were purported to have fired on fellow Allied forces on occasion, possibly by accident.[13]

Weather

Las temperaturas de 42 °C (108 °F) y las plagas de insectos asolaron a los Aliados. Los soldados se deshidrataron y los caballos murieron. Los aldeanos chinos mataron a las tropas aliadas que buscaban pozos, y a los soldados japoneses les sacaron los ojos y les cortaron la lengua, clavándolos en las puertas de las aldeas. [ 14 ] El clima provocó que muchos soldados aliados murieran de calor, echando espuma por la boca durante la expedición. Los indios británicos e incluso los rusos, considerados los más fuertes, sucumbieron. [ 15 ]  

Atrocidades

Las tácticas fueron espantosas por ambos bandos. Para entonces, cada bando había oído informes de las atrocidades cometidas por el otro. Los periódicos extranjeros publicaron rumores e informes de tercera mano; algunos resultaron ser ciertos. [ 16 ] Testigos informaron que los Aliados decapitaron cadáveres chinos ya muertos, remataron con bayonetas o decapitaron a chinos vivos y violaron a niñas y mujeres chinas. [ 17 ] Los rusos y los japoneses fueron especialmente señalados por sus atrocidades por los demás aliados. Los rusos mataron a civiles chinos indiscriminadamente. [ 18 ] Hubo informes generalizados de que los chinos respondieron con violencia y mutilación, especialmente hacia los rusos capturados. [ 19 ] El teniente estadounidense Smedley Butler vio los restos de dos soldados japoneses a quienes les sacaron los ojos y les cortaron la lengua antes de clavarlos a las puertas. [ 20 ]

Referencias

  1. ↑ "Rebelión de los Bóxers | Historia | Introducción a la investigación | EBSCO Research" . EBSCO . Consultado el 7 de marzo de 2026 .
  2. 1 2 Abdow, Emily (2023). La Rebelión de los Bóxers: marineros y marines en China, 1900-1901 (PDF) . Comando de Historia y Patrimonio Naval (EE. UU.). Washington, DC: Comando de Historia y Patrimonio Naval, Departamento de la Armada. págs. 11–34 . ISBN  978-1-943604-81-4.
  3. ↑ R. Leonhard, Robert. La expedición de socorro a China; Guerra de coalición conjunta en China, verano de 1900 (PDF) . Laboratorio de Física Aplicada de la Universidad Johns Hopkins . págs. 7–27 . 
  4. ↑ Fleming, Peter . El asedio de Pekín . Nueva York: Harper, 1959, pág. 72.
  5. ↑ Leonhard, Robert, La expedición de ayuda a China (PDF) , JHUAPL, pág. 11 , consultado el 18 de octubre de 2010. .
  6. ↑ Davids, Jules, ed. American Diplomatic and State Papers: The United States and China: Boxer Uprising , Serie 3, Vol. 5. Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources, 1981, pág. 102. Otras fuentes ofrecen cifras ligeramente diferentes.
  7. ↑ "El levantamiento de los bóxers — II" . visualizingcultures.mit.edu . Consultado el 7 de marzo de 2026 .
  8. ↑ Robert B. Edgerton (1997). Guerreros del sol naciente: una historia del ejército japonés . WW Norton & Co. pág . 87. ISBN  0-393-04085-2.
  9. ↑ Departamento de Guerra. Oficina del Ayudante General. Informe sobre las operaciones militares en Sudáfrica y China , vol. XXXIII, Washington: Imprenta del Gobierno, julio de 1901, págs. 568-571
  10. ↑Paul Henry Clements (1915). The Boxer rebellion: a political and diplomatic review, Volume 66, Issues 1–3. NEW YORK: Columbia University. p. 135. Only 2,500 soldiers and marines were on hand to maintain a position some ten miles in length, with all communication with the fleet cut off for a considerable time. But the troops of the Powers were being rushed to the scene with the utmost dispatch possible. Not, however, until 14 1 July had enough reinforcements arrived from the coast to relieve after severe fighting the beleaguered force and to capture the entire city, which was indispensable as a base of operations against Peking.2 Then came another distressing wait before the advance on the capital could begin. This was largely on account of the changed opinions regarding Chinese valor and the effectiveness of their resistance to the Seymour expedition. As it was, the Allies would have tarried at Tientsin for additional reinforcements some weeks longer had not the British and American commanders threatened to proceed alone with their contingents and risk the consequences. Although it was felt, so had the estimation of Chinese prowess been increased, that at least 50,000 troops were necessary, some thought 70,000, successfully to invade the interior, the second relief expedition to Peking finally got under way, 4 August, with an impressive total of 18,800 men. This number included 8,000 Japanese, 3,000 British, 4,500 Russians, 2,500 Americans, and 800 French. The Germans were unrepresented, as it was judged best to reserve some strength for Kiaochau and the coast. About 200 Americans and 300 Russians on 22 June made a desperate attempt to enter Tientsin by following the railway. When within two miles, they were ambushed and forced to retire, the Americans losing 3 killed and 13 wounded. But upon receiving reinforcements they returned on the 24th and forced their way in, causing the Chinese to withdraw from their position on the east, which enabled the besieged again to have communication with Taku. See the interesting Report by U. S. Consul Ragsdale on the "Siege of Tientsin" in U. S. For. Rel, 1900, pp. 268–273.
  11. ↑Ralph L. Powell (8 December 2015). Rise of the Chinese Military Power. Princeton University Press. p. 118. ISBN 978-1-4008-7884-0.
  12. ↑Robert B. Edgerton (1997). Warriors of the rising sun: a history of the Japanese military. WW Norton & Co. p. 90. ISBN 0-393-04085-2.
  13. ↑Robert B. Edgerton (1997). Warriors of the rising sun: a history of the Japanese military. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 88. ISBN 0393040852.
  14. ↑Robert B. Edgerton (1997). Warriors of the rising sun: a history of the Japanese military. WW Norton & Co. p. 88. ISBN 0-393-04085-2.
  15. ↑Thompson 2009, p. 168.
  16. ↑Jane E. Elliott, Ch. 2 "The Great Newspapers Report the Boxer Rising," Some Did It for Civilisation, Some Did It for Their Country : A Revised View of the Boxer War. (Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 2002; ISBN 9622019730), pp. 1–41.
  17. ↑Thompson 2009, p. 168.
  18. ↑[https://archive.org/details/warriorsofrising00edge/page/87Edgerton 1997, p. 87.
  19. ↑Thompson 2009, p. 168.
  20. ↑Edgerton 1997, p. 88.

Further reading

  • Edgerton, Robert B. (1997). Warriors of the Rising Sun: A History of the Japanese Military (illustrated ed.). W. W. Norton. ISBN 0393040852. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
  • http://plantureux.fr/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/PWT-19-2016-Boxers.pdfArchived 17 October 2019 at the Wayback Machine
  • Myers, Captain John T. "Military Operations and Defenses of the Siege of Peking." Proceedings of the U.S. Naval Institute, September 1902, pp. 542–50
  • Thompson, Larry Clinton (2009). William Scott Ament and the Boxer Rebellion: Heroism, Hubris and the Ideal Missionary. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786453382.
  • Behind the scenes in Peking (Being experiences during the siege of the Legations) at Project Gutenberg