The First and Second Opium War | History of China (1839-1860)

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China, the middle kingdom, had been one of the mightiest powers of the world for centuries. Their hegemony led to its isolation from most geopolitical developments and world politics. After all, “China lacked no products within its borders”, according to the Qianlong Emperor. When the British Empire demanded trading rights, a contemptuous refusal was all that was given. The Chinese would soon be strong-armed into allowing Western powers to trade on their territory however, and this all happened during two wars that became known as the Opium Wars.

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Rectification: 3:40 Lin Zexu addressed two eloquent letters (never delivered!) to Queen Victoria. [Thanks to Kaiser Franz Joseph I, probably not the real one, for pointing it out].

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Time Codes:

0:45 Historical Background
3:05 Anti-Opium Alliance
5:04 The First Opium War
7:59 The Treaty of Nanking
10:24 The Second Opium War (Arrow War)
12:18 Conclusion

Sources:

Baum, R. (2010). The Fall and Rise of China. The Great Courses: Modern History.
Fairbank, J. K., & Reischauer, E. O. (1989). China: tradition & transformation (Vol. 57). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Horst, D. (1977). Geschiedenis van China. Het Spectrum.
Spence, J. D. (1990). The search for modern China. WW Norton & Company.

Photos, paintings and imagery: Public Domain, Wikicommons

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