ABSTRACT
The allied military and diplomatic authorities in Tianjin were determined to restore their lost prestige as well as rescue their comrades. The fate of the Seymour Expedition appeared to be getting increasingly more desperate each day. Militarily, the seizure of the Dagu Forts was deemed no easy task. The Dagu Forts were in fact four forts in one modern fortification system. General Luo's own account is backed up by sources from the foreign archives. A chronology of events concerning the storming action at Dagu was deposited in the Imperial German military archives. The Empress Dowager finally agreed to give the peace party one more chance to persuade the foreigners not to take the Dagu Forts. The Manchu Court was still waiting to find out what had been happening in Tianjin and Dagu since June 16. There were numerous conflicting reports, but no official news from Viceroy Yu Lu. This delay proved to be fatal for the Court's decisions.
