![]() Upon the land, however, unity of action was more complicated. Councils of war proved suitable for coalition naval commanders in the initial phase of the campaign. France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Russia, and the United States committed sizeable contingents of soldiers to land operations but all exercised independent commands that sought to act in unison through coordination and synchronization. From the top down, this coalition little resembled joint, multinational military efforts of later conflicts. In response to the crisis, a combined force of US sailors, soldiers, and Marines participated in a multinational coalition to save from annihilation the American and European diplomats in China, their families, and thousands of Chinese converts to Christianity. In 1900, Boxers enjoyed official sanction in the Manchu court as Qing officials-powerless to suppress the group, and simultaneously lacking a modern, twentieth century–style military with which to deter foreigners-felt their power slipping away. They routinely slaughtered Western Christians (whom they regarded as “foreign devils”) as well as indigenous Chinese who converted to, and proselytized on behalf of, Christianity. As a militia, albeit one that lacked a central and unified command, the Boxers sought to end foreign commercial, industrial, and religious influence in China. Commonly called Boxers, they were religious zealots who practiced ancient forms of mysticism, self-flagellation, and martial arts in an effort to make themselves invincible to Western weapons. In the summer of 1900, the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists, a militant, antiforeign society, took root in China’s northern provinces and overran the imperial seat of Peking (present-day Beijing). Too many of these considerations, in imagining some unrealized future, fail to offer historical perspective they neglect the fact that the United States has deployed forces to China before. The novel 2034 is a New York Times bestseller and has captured scores of readers through its gripping, Tom Clancy–esque tale of great power war. ![]() Preoccupation with the pacing threat of the century has even infiltrated popular print culture. Some have speculated, channeling concerns of the National Defense Strategy Commission, that armed conflict with China might spell decisive defeat for US forces. As Sino-American relations come under increased strain, scholars, civil authorities, servicemembers, and strategists have theorized about how the United States can bring various instruments of national power to bear against the People’s Republic of China. ![]()
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