The immediate background of the uprising included severe drought and disruption by the growth of foreign spheres of influence after the Sino-Japanese War of 1895.

[5][6] The Chinese Empress Dowager Cixi supported the Boxers and on June 21 issued an Imperial Decree declaring war on the foreign powers.

[7] Diplomats, foreign civilians, soldiers and Chinese Christians sought refuge in the Legation Quarter where they were besieged.

[8] On August 4, 1900, the soldiers of the Eight Nation Alliance left the city of Tianjin to march towards Beijing in order to relieve the siege.

The force consisted of approximately 20,000 troops, with contingents from: Japan, 10,000; Russia, 4,000; Great Britain, 3,000; United States, 2,000; France, 800; Germany, 200; and Austria and Italy, 100.

[14] On the east bank of the Hai River the Russians and French were unable to get around the Chinese flank due to flooded terrain.

The Chinese preserved most of their artillery by withdrawing it early in the battle, an action that, according to a United States War Department report, "must have predisposed the rest of their army to its prompt retreat".