(Consider this a part of the main update.)

[centre][img=http://www.zum.de/whkmla/sp/0910/kgb/figure3.gif]
[i]A cartoon from Punch Magazine.[/i][/centre]

In China, the world could not stand back as their innocent people were under threat. Nicholas II, the Russian Tsar, called for an international task-force to be formed and requested that foreign soldiers come to Beijing to defend the legations. Under immense pressure from the outside world, the Chinese Imperial Court reluctantly acquiesced to the demands. A small selection of soldiers from Europe and America, no larger than 300 in total, were stationed in the foreign legations.

Matters worsened after a young Boxer was captured by a German soldier and promptly executed. Thousands swarmed the foreign legations. The few western soldiers fought bravely; but their killing of the Boxers only angered the Imperial Court. Remaining Boxers began to slaughter all Christians they could find - whether they were Chinese or western. The Boxers cut the railway lines from Peking to coastal city of Tientsin, isolating the capital.

Angered, the Imperial Court began to lay out mines across from the Dagu Forts in order to ensure that a limited amount of foreign warships could gain access to Tientsin. The Allies disregarded this and began to sail down the rivers. The Chinese army opened fire; and a naval battle took place. It was a resounding victory for the Allies, but it had paved the road for the Empress Dowager Cixi giving full support to the Boxers. Unfortunately for her, the majority of China's regional armies promptly refused to put her decision into action.

[centre][img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/3090_forts_lg.jpg]
[i]The Battle of Dagu Forts, 1900.[/i][/centre]

However the Peking Field Force stood by Cixi's decision, and began to besiege the Foreign Legations. The few hundred foreigners scavenged for what supplies remained and awaited the inevitable assault, and the Chinese army attempted to frighten the foreigners out by setting fire to the surrounding buildings. The only effect of this was the destruction of the Hanlin Academy. Thousands of ancient texts were destroyed, and both sides promptly blamed one another. The Chinese switched tactics, and built barricades around the foreign legations. There they began to advance brick-by-brick, slowly tightening their grip on the foreigners.

The Allies had slowly been building up its presence in Tientsin. By June, it was large enough to break through the surrounding Chinese army and march onwards to Peking. Under the overall command of Major-General Alfred Gasalee, a contingent of 28,000 Japanese, 20,000 British, 14,000 Russians, 3,000 Americans, 1,500 Germans and 300 Austrians. Despite being severely outnumbered by the combined Chinese and Boxer forces on the march to Peking, a minor battle resulted in an overwhelming Allied victory and the disintegration of the opposing forces.The path was now clear to relieve the Foreign Legations.

[centre][img=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JipfDY80fgU/UfzMJxnrYLI/AAAAAAAAAgY/FhD1q736VKI/s1600/tientsin7.jpg]
[i]Officers of the Six-Nation Alliance in Tientsin.[/i][/centre]

Facing them was the immense elite of the Chinese army. They stood defiant in modern forts, and were equipped with advanced weaponry such as modern Mauser repeater rifles and Krupp artillery. For all their glamour, neither the modern weapons nor the new forts could compensate for the lack of training of the soldiers and the backwardness of the Chinese military tactics. 

Six national contingents advanced on the walls of Peking. Each had a gate in the Wall for its objective. The Japanese and Russians were delayed at their gates by Chinese resistance. The small Austrian contingent got lost. The Americans scaled the walls rather than attempting to force their way through a fortified gate. The Germans eventually succeeded in blowing a tremendous hole in the walls. However, it was the British who ended up winning the race to relieve the siege of the legations. They entered the city through an unguarded gate and proceeded with virtually no opposition. 

[centre][img=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Siege_of_Peking%2C_Boxer_Rebellion.jpg/800px-Siege_of_Peking%2C_Boxer_Rebellion.jpg]
[i]American soldiers scaling the walls of Peking.[/i][/centre]

In the north, the Tsar of Russia began an assault on Manchuria. The remaining Chinese army and Boxer rebels put up a brave fight as they slowly fell back. Western newspapers reported that the Chinese forces treated Russian civilians leniently and allowed them to escape to Russia, even notifying that they should leave the war zone. By contrast, the Russian Cossacks brutally killed civilians who tried to flee in the Chinese villages. Boxer rebels promptly began to burn down Russian villages in a fit of revenge, and almost succeeded in annihilating a Russian army - but the effort was futile, and by September the entirety of Manchuria was occupied by Russia.

As the Allied soldiers celebrated their victory, the Empress Dowager Cixi announced that she was going on an inspection to Central China - promptly leaving Peking dressed in the clothing of a farm girl and hidden in an ox-cart. By the end of the year, the formerly neutral Chinese regional armies were subduing the remaining Boxers and Peking remained occupied. It was an immense victory for the Allies, who now only had one matter left to resolve: the peace treaty.