Japan, Russia, Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy made an alliance to keep the Boxers out of their part of the city. While they did that, the Empress Dowager Cixi declared war on all of them and sent the Chinese Army to help the Boxers. They fought for 55 days before the foreign reinforcements got through and defeated the Chinese. Afterwards there was a celebration, and foreign soldiers ran around stealing from the people and raping Chinese women. Their commander heard about it and was angry, but they kept doing it anyway.