Foreign Devils and Boxers: A Concise History of the U.S. Army's Experience with Combined Interoperability during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900

摘要

This historical case-study investigates and analyzes how the U.S. Army conducted a multinational operation, and to ascertain any legacies the Boxer Rebellion experiences may provide to the way the U.S. Army conducts multinational operations today. This study is limited to an examination of the multinational operation from an interoperability perspective. The international forces in China are analyzed through the specific functions of command, control, coordination, and liaison as articulated in FM 100-8, The Army in Multinational Operations. The 1900 China Relief Expedition affords an opportunity to reflect upon the U.S. Army's first multinational operation upon entering the twentieth century. The operation was the first opportunity for the Army to join with combined forces in a campaign since French military support provided the decisive edge for victory during the American Revolution. As such, the operation provides a logical starting point when assessing the overall performance of the U.S. Army as it conducted subsequent multinational or combined operations throughout the remainder of the century.