18991902

1899–1902 was a period marked by major imperial conflicts and diplomacy at the turn of the 20th century. It featured sustained confrontations in Africa and Asia, as well as mechanisms aimed at shaping the balance of power and trade.

The Second Boer War (October 1899–May 1902) pitted the British Empire against the Boer republics of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. Conventional battles, guerrilla warfare, and scorched-earth tactics followed. The war ended with the Treaty of Vereeniging on 31 May 1902, leading to British control over the Boer territories and the eventual creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

In China, the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) involved anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprisings suppressed by the Eight-Nation Alliance. The conflict concluded with the Boxer Protocol of 1901, which imposed indemnities on China and allowed foreign troops and influence in certain spheres. The episode accelerated reforms within China and affected its relations with foreign powers.

The Philippines underwent the Philippine–American War (1899–1902) as Filipino insurgents resisted American sovereignty following the Spanish-American War. The conflict included extensive guerrilla fighting and harsh counterinsurgency measures, ending with the formal assertion of U.S. rule and the capitulation of major resistance in 1902.

Diplomatically, the Open Door Policy emerged during this period, with the United States advocating equal commercial access to China and the preservation of its territorial integrity. Although not a binding treaty, it guided competing powers’ approaches to China and influenced subsequent international relations in East Asia.

The period 1899–1902 thus featured a mix of declared wars, imperial consolidation, and distance-shrinking diplomatic initiatives that shaped international relations in the early 20th century.