FiftyFive Days of Terror Author:Burt Hirshchfeld On June 24, 1900, a fanatical Chinese army, sworn to exterminate all "foreign devils," trapped the diplomatic envoys of eleven countries behind the legation walls in Peking. For fifty-five days there was bloodshed as the foreign devils fought for survival, and the outcome marked the end of one era in history and the beginning of a new one. Thi... more »s absorbing account of the Boxer Rebellion tells the full story of imperialism in China where the ruling dynasties, through cruelty, corruption and superstition, kept the peasants in poverty while they lived in splendor. Stronger nations seized upon these weaknesses and ruthlessly exploited the country, reaping great profits in imports ranging from cotton to opium. Placing the blame not on the Chinese ruling class but on the foreign invaders, secret societies formed a group which became known as Boxers and bloody warfare resulted.« less