The 1901 China expedition commemorative medal (french: "Médaille commémorative de l'expédition de Chine (1901)") was a French military campaign medal established by the law of 15 April 1902 to recognize service in China in 1900 and 1901 during the Boxer Rebellion. In May 1900, an uprising throughout Northern China threatened the interests of nations with established concessions in major cities and leased territories in the

Empire of China The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the '' Book of Documents'' (early chapte ...

. This hostility against these powers was mainly driven by a secret nationalist and xenophobic group called "the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists", hence the name "Boxers" given to its members. It was decided by eight major powers (

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

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France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

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, Japan and

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) to establish an international army of 150,000 men under the supreme command of German Field Marshal Count von Waldersee to rescue their besieged compatriots in

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

and put down the rebellion in the provinces. Allied troops entered Peking on 14 August 1900 but a peace treaty with China was only signed on 7 September 1901.

Award statute

The 1901 China expedition commemorative medal was awarded by the

President of the French Republic The president of France, officially the president of the French Republic (french: Président de la République française), is the executive head of state of France, and the commander-in-chief of the French Armed Forces. As the presidency is ...

, based on the recommendation of the minister under which the potential recipient served, to all officers, sailors and soldiers having participated in the French expedition to China during the following time periods: *for the personnel under the War Department, to all those who served in China between 30 June 1900 and 8 August 1901; *for the personnel under the Navy Department, **concerning members of crews, to those who were in service in theater between 30 May 1900 and 31 December 1901 who received an indemnity for service in China; **concerning officers, military functionaries or agents that did not figure on crew rosters, to those who received an indemnity for service in China covered in the decree of 4 August 1900 or an indemnity for expenses granted prior to 1 September 1900, in accordance with the order of the admiral commander in chief of the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

naval division. It was also awarded, on the recommendation of the Minister for External Affairs, to the French civilians who took part in the defence of the legations in Peking. The law of 15 April 1904 added as potential recipients of the 1901 China expedition commemorative medal, the officers, sailors and soldiers, destined to take part in the expedition, who disembarked in the

Tonkin Tonkin, also spelled ''Tongkin'', ''Tonquin'' or ''Tongking'', is an exonym referring to the northern region of Vietnam. During the 17th and 18th centuries, this term referred to the domain '' Đàng Ngoài'' under Trịnh lords' control, includ ...

between 30 June 1900 and 8 August 1901 on the condition they did not already receive the

Colonial Medal The Colonial Medal (french: "Médaille Coloniale") was a French decoration created by the "loi de finances" of 26 July 1893 (article 75) to reward "military services in the colonies, resulting from participation in military operations, in a colon ...

for the same time period.

Award description

The 1901 China expedition commemorative medal was a 30mm in diameter circular silver medal. The

obverse Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...

bore the relief image of the effigy of the "warrior republic" in the form of the left profile of a helmeted woman's bust, the helmet being adorned by a crown of oak and laurel leaves. On either side, the relief inscription along the circumference "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE" ( en, "FRENCH REPUBLIC", link=no). The reverse bore a

pagoda A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...

surrounded with military and naval articles or war. The ribbon's suspension loop was adorned with two

Chinese dragons The Chinese dragon, also known as ''loong'', ''long'' or ''lung'', is a legendary creature in Chinese mythology, Chinese folklore, and Chinese culture at large. Chinese dragons have many animal-like forms such as turtles and fish, but are mos ...

. The medal hung from a 36 mm wide silk moiré yellow ribbon with four 4 mm wide equidistant green vertical stripes.

Noteworthy recipients (partial list)

*General

Robert Nivelle Robert Georges Nivelle (15 October 1856 – 22 March 1924) was a French artillery general officer who served in the Boxer Rebellion and the First World War. In May 1916, he succeeded Philippe Pétain as commander of the French Second Army in th ...

*General Maurice Bailloud *Vice admiral Antoine Exelmans *General Albert d'Amade *Admiral

Raoul Castex Raoul Victor Patrice Castex (27 October 1878, Saint-Omer – 10 January 1968, Villeneuve-de-Rivière) was a French Navy admiral and a military theorist. Naval career Castex joined the Navy in 1896, becoming the best student of his promotion ...

*General Émile Edmond Legrand-Girarde *General Charles Louis Joseph Belhague *General César Alix *General Baron

Charles Pierre Corvisart Baron Charles Pierre René Victor Corvisart () (29 June 1857 – 7 May 1939) was a general in the French Army who rose to prominence in World War I and a diplomat. Biography Corvisart was the grandnephew of Napoleon I's personal physician Jean-Ni ...

References

External links

Museum of the Legion of Honour
(in French) {{DEFAULTSORT:1901 China expedition commemorative medal Military awards and decorations of France Boxer Rebellion campaign medals Awards established in 1902 1902 establishments in France French campaign medals China–France military relations

Award statute

Award description

Noteworthy recipients (partial list)

See also

References

External links