1899

1899 was a common year in the Gregorian calendar. In international affairs, the year featured notable efforts to regulate conflict and resolve disputes. The First Hague Conference, held in The Hague during 1899, produced conventions for the pacific settlement of disputes and for the laws and customs of war on land, and it established the Permanent Court of Arbitration to adjudicate disputes between states. These developments reflected a broader push to codify international law and to manage the use of force among major powers.

Several large military conflicts began or intensified during the year. The Second Boer War began in October 1899 between the British Empire and the Boer republics in South Africa. In Asia, the Philippine–American War began in February 1899 between the United States and Filipino revolutionary forces following the Spanish-American War. In China, the Boxer Rebellion began as anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprisings, affecting foreign communities and missions in several regions of the country.

Together, these events illustrate the late 19th-century dynamics of imperial competition, the spread of international legal frameworks, and the varied responses to colonial and national sovereignty. The year set the stage for ongoing tensions and reorganizations that would influence global politics in the early 20th century.