J. The Boxer Rebellion

Nationalism grew in China and in 1899 the Boxers staged a rebellion against foreigners with help from the beleaguered Qing state. In 1900 a multinational force of 20,000 troops from Japan, Russia, Britain, America and France crushed the rebellion and forced new concessions from the Qing. The foreigners demanded reparations of $333 million, a staggering sum considering the entire income of the Qing state amounted to about $160 million. With interest, the amount would amount to $982,238,150. Sun tried to exploit the situation, but being under financed, the Qing quickly suppressed their efforts.

A 19-year-old student Zou Rong wrote a short book entitled The Revolutionary Army in 1903. He declared that the Chinese should learn from the Western examples that it becomes possible to overthrow domestic tyranny and free a country from foreign domination if the people become conscious of their unity and struggle together. As Zou wrote:

"I do not begrudge repeating over and over again that internally we are the slaves of the Manchu and suffering from their tyranny, externally we are being harassed by the Powers, and we are doubly enslaved. The reason why our scared Han race, descendants of the Yellow Emperor, should support revolutionary independence, arises precisely from the question of whether our race will go under and be exterminated. .... You are qualified in every way for revolutionary independence."