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1900 Boxer Rebellion War Medal
(Full Size, With Case)
明治三十三年從軍記章
(八國聯軍)
(官方版,含盒)
Item number: M184
Year: AD 1901
Material: Bronze
Size: case 104.5 x 54.3 x 20.9 / medal 73.1 x 30.2 x 2.8 mm
Weight: case 29.5 / medal 29.45 g
Provenance: Dixons Medal 2022
This is a Meiji 33 Military Service Medal, issued according to Imperial Edict No. 142 in the 34th year of the Meiji era (AD 1901), to commend the Japanese military officers and soldiers who participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance during the Boxer Rebellion in AD 1900. The medal is housed in a wooden storage case lined with red velvet, with the lid inscribed in gilt script reading “Meiji 33 Military Service Medal”. The medal itself features a swivel straight bar suspension adorned with laurel leaves, connecting to a rectangular clasp. The inscription on the clasp, written in seal script Japanese characters, reads “Qing Incident,” which is the Japanese term for the military action at the time. The ribbon is approximately 37mm wide, with a white background and sky-blue stripes. The sky-blue stripes on the left and right are 2mm wide, while the two central stripes are 6mm wide.
The medal is circular in shape, with the obverse depicting a spread-winged phoenix holding the seal script Kanji characters for “Military Service Medal” and the emblem of the chrysanthemum, which is the national symbol of Japan. On the reverse side of the medal, the inscription is written in regular script, stating “Great Japanese Empire” and “Year 33 of the Meiji Era.”
In May AD 1900, the Japanese embassy in Beijing, along with others, experienced harassment from the Boxers. Consequently, on June 9th, over a hundred troops, including Japanese soldiers, set out from the Tianjin Concession under the command of British General Seymour. On June 11th, upon receiving news of the relief force’s approach, the Japanese embassy dispatched Sugiyama Akira, a chancellor, to meet them outside Beijing. However, as Sugiyama Akira passed through the outer gates of Beijing at Yongdingmen, he was mercilessly killed by the Qing regular army stationed there, led by Dong Fuxiang of the Gansu Army. His body was left exposed and hastily buried nearby. Sugiyama Akira and subsequently, the murdered German Minister to China, Klemens von Ketteler, became the most prominent diplomatic casualties of the Eight-Nation Alliance campaign.
On June 21st, as Empress Dowager Cixi officially declared war on the foreign powers, the diplomatic quarter in Beijing came under intense siege. The besieged foreign nationals appointed the British Minister to China, Claude Maxwell MacDonald, as the overall commander, but MacDonald effectively delegated command to the highest-ranking military officer on the scene, Japanese Army Lieutenant Colonel Shiba Gorō. Under Shiba Gorō’s excellent leadership, more than 500 armed personnel, including 24 Japanese naval infantrymen, successfully held out until the relief of the Allied forces on August 14th.
At the same time, the first contingent of 1,000 Japanese reinforcements had landed at Taku Fort on June 15th. However, due to concerns about suspicion from Western powers, Japan hesitated to increase the size of its forces. It wasn’t until July 4th, after coordination and consultation with various countries through British channels, that Japan lifted restrictions and dispatched 23,000 troops to support the campaign, becoming the largest contingent among the Allied forces. On August 14th, the Japanese forces broke through the Chaoyang Gate, paying a toll of 50 dead and 100 wounded, before finally capturing the gate and entering the inner city late that night. Subsequently, during the division of the occupation zones in Beijing by the various countries, the security in the Japanese zone overseen by Lieutenant Colonel Shiba Gorō was notably well-maintained. This even prompted the Qing Dynasty to consider adopting elements of the Japanese policing system as a model.
Afterwards, the Qing court paid a total of 450 million taels in “Boxer Indemnity”, of which Japan received approximately 7.73%. The aftermath of the killing of Sugiyama Akira was resolved at the insistence of the Japanese side, with Prime Minister Na Tong dispatched to Japan to offer condolences to the bereaved family and arrange for an honourable compensation.
物件編號: M184
年代: 公元 1901 年
材質: 青銅
尺寸: 盒 104.5 x 54.3 x 20.9 / 獎章 73.1 x 30.2 x 2.8 mm