The contradicting military strategies and the difference in the enthusiasm of each army toward the battle were causes, but it was mainly due to lack of basic agreement about whether to arrive in Beijing early or not.
軍事作戦上の齟齬や各国軍の戦闘への積極性の違いも原因であったが、そもそも北京に早く到達すべきかどうかという根本的な点で意見の一致を見ていなかった為である。