Who were the members of the Eight-Nation Alliance?

The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 during the Boxer Rebellion. It consisted of approximately 45,000 troops from Germany, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, the United States, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. The coalition was not bound by any formal treaty or agreement and did not issue a formal declaration of war.

What we know

• The Eight-Nation Alliance consisted of troops from Germany, Japan, Russia, Britain, France, the United States, Italy, and Austria-Hungary. [1, 2]
• The coalition's stated aim was to relieve foreign legations in Beijing that were besieged by Boxer militiamen. [2, 4]
• Neither the alliance members nor the Chinese issued a formal declaration of war. [1, 2]
• No formal treaty or agreement bound the eight nations together. [1, 2]

Where to go next

• what caused itWhy did the Boxer Rebellion start?
• a case in pointWhat happened during the Battle of Peking in 1900?
• what followedHow did the Boxer Protocol end the conflict?
• how we knowWhat was the role of the Taku Forts in the invasion?
• the bigger pictureWhat were other multinational military coalitions in history?
• an unexpected connectionHow does an indigenous tribal council share a name with a global military alliance?Both coalitions share the word alliance in their titles despite representing entirely different types of cooperative organizations.

Sources

• [1]Eight-Nation Alliance (Wikidata Q320404) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Eight-Nation Alliance · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Okanagan Nation Alliance · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Battle of Peking (1900) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Almighty Vice Lord Nation · CC BY-SA 4.0