Sir Alfred Gaselee
General, Commander of the British-Indian relief force
"Push on to the legations — there is not a moment to lose."
Biography
A veteran British general of the Indian Army, Sir Alfred Gaselee commanded the British and Indian contingent of the international relief expedition and, through his energy and cooperative spirit, emerged as one of the driving forces of the multinational march on Peking. Amid the mutual suspicion of the allied contingents, Gaselee worked well with the others, and his troops — including Indian regiments — were among the first to break through to the besieged legations on August 14, 1900. He led his men through a gap in the great walls of Peking to the relief of the desperate defenders, a moment that made him a hero across the British Empire. His steady, unshowy competence contrasted with the rivalries and brutalities that marked much of the campaign.
Did you know?
His relief force relied heavily on the soldiers of British India, whose role in fighting through to Peking is often forgotten in Western accounts of the rescue.
Key Battles
The Relief March: Beicang and Yangcun
Eight-Nation Alliance victoryAugust 5–6, 1900 · 1,500 total casualties
The relief march was a remarkable, if fractious, multinational operation; its victories at Beicang and Yangcun broke the last organised Qing resistance between Tientsin and the capital.
The Relief of Peking
Eight-Nation Alliance victoryAugust 14, 1900 · 3,000 total casualties
The relief of the legations was the climax of the war and a sensation across the world, but the fall of the Chinese capital to a foreign army — and the flight of the Qing court — marked a profound humiliation for China.
Life Journey
Timeline
June 3, 1844
🌅 Birth
Born in England
August 14, 1900
⚔️ Battle
Leads the breakthrough to the legations
March 29, 1918
✝️ Death
Dies in England