What happened to the eight powers that once invaded China?

120 years ago in 1900, eight countries - Britain, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Japan, the United States, Czarist Russia and Italy - formed the Eight-Power Allied Forces, which once again set off an invasion of China. The eight-nation allied forces were so powerful that they quickly overran the city of Beijing and whisked the then ruler of the Qing Dynasty? Empress Dowager Cixi all the way to Xi'an.

The Eight-Power Allied Forces

The Eight-Power Allied Forces successively occupied many places in northern China and burned, killed and plundered many cities, including the capital, Beijing, where the Eight-Power Allied Forces were entrenched for more than a year. In the end, this war of aggression by a coalition of powers ended with the Qing government signing the humiliating Treaty of Hsin Chou.

The Treaty of Hsin Chou once again refreshed the amount of unequal treaty reparations in China and even in the world, the powers in order to humiliate China, to the number of people in China at that time as the basis for compensation for each person one or two pieces of silver, and ultimately, the war to China to compensate for the eight powers of 450 million taels of silver, at the same time, the Qing court paid a series of conditions such as the opening of ports of communication in exchange for a series of the retreat of the eight powers.

The eight powers at that time could be said to be vicious and powerful, and they regarded China as an object to be slaughtered at will. So, today, 119 years later, how are the eight powers doing? Have they appeared? Has there been a phenomenon of "ten years east of the river, thirty years west of the river"? The phenomenon of the Eight Powers?

The Eight Powers

Austro-Hungary

First of all, Austria-Hungary is excluded. This is because the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved not long after the invasion of China due to the defeat in World War 1. The smaller European states such as Austria and Hungary that were formed over its corpse, while generally doing okay, had apparently long since dropped out of the ranks of the top powers.

Austria-Hungary in World War I

The United States

The United States of America in 1900, although it had already become a member of the world's non-negligible powers, in fact, as a newcomer to the United States, in fact, it was not insignificant, and in the status of the United States can only be used as the same source of Britain's little brother. However, successively in the first world war and the second world war to earn a pot full of round the United States quickly rose, at the same time, relying on its unique geographical advantages, quickly rose to become the world's superpower.

After the Cold War, the United States became the only superpower on the planet after the Soviet Union was completely destroyed. As a result, the U.S. is not only more powerful than it was during the time of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, but it is also far more dominant than it was during the time of the Allied Forces.

The United States

Britain

Britain was undoubtedly the world's number one power during the period of the Eight-Power Allied Forces' invasion of China. As the ? Sunset Empire? , Britain had been the world's number one for more than 200 years at that time. However, as the saying goes? Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west? , after two world wars, although Britain was the victor in both, but Britain's national strength still declined sharply.

Particularly after the 2nd World War, after the loss of the vast majority of colonies, only the British Isles left in the United Kingdom, the national strength has been greatly inferior to the former, the international influence is also as Wang Xiaoji New Year? The international influence is also like Wang Xiao Er's New Year? Even today, on the mainland of the British Isles, the British are still in a state of separation. Of course, with the old base of the Sunset Empire, Britain is still one of the world's powerful countries.

British colonies at their peak

France

France is actually very interesting, the Eight-Power Allied Forces invasion of China, France's strength is quite strong, but it has always been pressed by the United Kingdom, and never been the world's largest. 100 years later, France still has no chance to be the world's largest. Even if it wants to be the boss of Europe today, there is still Britain and Germany pressing on it.

119 years ago, France was the world's second largest colonial power after Britain. Today's France has lost the vast majority of its colonies, but, more than the top, more than the bottom, France is not only in the European discourse is not light, after the World War II lay to win also gained the 5 permanent seats, in the international arena also has a pivotal position.

France

Tsarist Russia

Whether it is the period of the Eight-Power Allied Forces invasion of China or today's international community, the rule of international law in fact has never changed, is still the weakest and the strongest. However, most countries still have at least one more thing to hide, and there are few countries in the world like Tsarist Russia, which acts without decency and hangs its greed nakedly on its face.

The Tsarist Russians have historically hurt China y, and to date, China still has more than 1.6 million square kilometers of land occupied by the Tsarist Russians. When the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, the Tsarist Russians not only participated in the attack on Beijing, but even assembled an army of 170,000 to occupy the entire northeastern region.

Today's Russia, through the tsarist era, the Soviet era, the post-Soviet era, it has enjoyed the thrill of the crazy territorial expansion of the tsarist period, but also experienced the peak of one of the two world's superpowers in the Soviet era. However, when the Soviet Union came crashing down, Russia, which inherited the main body of the Soviet Union, still had an economy as bad as the Soviet Union's, if not worse, except for its huge military legacy.

Tsarist Russia

So today, although Russia is still one of the world's undisputed great powers, Russia is relying on the Soviet Union to leave advanced weapons everywhere to show presence. However, the single-legged walk of the Russian economy continues to be in the doldrums, the land area of up to 17 million square kilometers of Russia, the economy is not even as good as a province of Guangdong, China. And by the Western countries *** with the hostility of the Russian economy can not be optimistic about the improvement.

Japan

If there is any country that has done the most damage to China in recent times, it is undoubtedly Japan, the country next to us. Little Japan? Japan's modern eyes opened to the world not much earlier than China's, but Japan's reforms are far more successful than China.

After the Meiji Restoration, Japan, on the right track, rose rapidly and won in a bet on the country's fortunes. Japan at the time of the Eight-Power Allied Forces' invasion of China was just seven other powers looking down on the ? The tail end of the car? However, today's Japan has become the world's third-largest economic power, relying on strong support from the United States.

Japan

Of course, Japan is, after all, a defeated country in World War II, and the United States tethered to Japan's rope has never been loosened, so today's Japan, although the economy is developed, but it is a one-legged walk. However, Japan is now breaking free of the reins on the desire to become more and more intense, the United States has not been relaxed reins, sit back and watch the idea of tigers, and Japan's extremely deep roots of science and technology industry, more worthy of our vigilance.

Germany

Germany of the Eight-Power Allied Forces, like the United States and Japan, is a rising star. However, at that time, Germany's development was obviously more rapid, so Germany's desire to expand and ambition to be the world's leader was also more intense. However, the sad thing is that although there is the heart to be the world's leader and the physique to be the world's leader, but not the life to be the world's leader.

After the failure of the challenge of the two world wars, Germany lost 40% of its land area after a piece of rubble, still tenacious rise, and long-term hold the world's third largest economic power. Today's Germany is still one of the world's great powers, and in Europe can be counted first, its industrial and technological strength can not be underestimated by any country.

German territorial losses in the two world wars

Italy

In the fragmented Europe, there are not many countries that can be counted as big countries in terms of land area and population, and Italy is one of them. However, like Italy, which sent only 80 sailors to the Eight-Power Allied Forces when they invaded China, Italy has always been among the world's great powers.

The most amazing thing is that although it is not as strong as the world's leading powers, Italy's strength is not to be underestimated. After playing some soy sauce in the Second World War, incidentally as a funny bear, and ruthlessly pit Germany a hand, taking advantage of the wind of the post-World War II European economic recovery and take-off, Italy's economy has long occupied the 7th position in the world. However, today, in addition to luxury goods, fashion and soccer, Italy's presence in the world is still weak.

Italy