Hun speech!

The Kaiser commands his soldiers to show no mercy to the Chinese

Although not formally incorporated into any of the colonial empires in 1900, China was subject to increasing foreign control through the establishment of a number of zones of Western influence. One such example was the coastal area around what would later become the city of Tsingtau, which the Chinese crown was forced to lease to Germany. The growing influence of foreign powers met with rising hostility amongst many Chinese, and one movement in particular became increasingly popular. Seeking to promote social reform and spiritual renewal, the “Boxers” were named for their well-toned bodies. Fuelled by their belief that they could not be harmed by foreigners, they attacked Christian missionaries and destroyed a number of foreign facilities in northern China. Finally, they allied with Chinese government troops in Beijing and laid siege to the legation quarter, to which foreign citizens had fled. A German diplomat was also shot dead in the process. Six European countries, including Germany, the USA and Japan, decided to dispatch a joint expeditionary force to put down the uprising and rescue their citizens.

Addressing the German Expeditionary Corps in Bremerhaven on 27 July 1900, Kaiser William II urged his soldiers to take no prisoners. Just as “Etzel” had once terrorized Europe, they were to leave as lasting an impression in Asia as the Huns had done in 5th-century Europe, where they were still remembered over a millennium later. Only in this way would they be able to ensure that “never again will a Chinese dare even to look askance at a German”. Known as the “Hun Speech”, this intervention caused an international sensation. After a force of predominantly US troops put down the Boxer Rebellion, foreign soldiers unleashed a campaign of looting and revenge. China was also forced to pay enormous reparations.