The Opium Wars were two wars fought over trade with the British Empire and China, respectively first in 1839 to 1842, and then a second time from 1856 to 1860. France also helped out Britain for their second war.
In the decades leading up to the first Opium war, the town where trade between China and Britain took place was the port of Guangzhou. Britain shipped cotton from India and silver from Britain to China, while China exported tea, silk, porcelain and some other goods. As we all know, Brits Love Tea, and we have to remember that this is Victorian Britain, so people had a knack for porcelain and silk too. Unfortunately, the Chinese didn't really need British silver or cotton. So Britain imported many items from China, but exported little. For this reason, a trade imbalance was created, and Britain tried to offset this by investing in opium rather than cotton. This became a success, as now China was importing more British goods than vice versa. Opium was harvested from the plants of poppy seeds, and the British maintained opium plantations in British India.
By the early 19th century, more and more Chinese began smoking opium they bought from British merchants. Just like with any other drug, people who got addicted became sick during withdrawals, so they would do anything to get more opium. In 1800, the Chinese government recognized this problem and banned the production and importation of opium. In 1813, they went a step further and made smoking it illegal also. When the British East India Company heard of this, they hired British and American traders to smuggle the drug to Guangzhou, and was later distributed by Chinese dealers.
More and more opium flowed in, and more and more money flowed out, and the Chinese imperial government didn't really like that. They got more serious about enforcing the 1813 ban. They raided opium dens, and executed dealers. Lin Zexu, a government official argued that they must eradicate opium completely from the country, since there would be no peasants to work the lands, no army to fight, and no citizens to pay taxes. He said they should punish the ones who import opium, rather than the ones who use it and sell it. He even wrote an open letter to Queen Victoria, questioning the morality of drug import. He also demanded British companies to give him their opium stashes, and in exchange they would get tea (for free). The companies didn't obey, so Lin halted all foreign trade and quarantined the ports. After six weeks the British turned over their opium chests (2.6 million pounds in total), and Lin and his men destroyed all of it by mixing it with lime (not the fruit) and salt and dumped them into the sea. This destruction was taken as a personal insult by the British, and they also argued that China was out of touch with the rest of the civilized world, where free trade reigned.
Tensions heightened, and in November 1839 the First Opium War broke out officially. Over the next few years, the British raided forts, seized cities and fought battles. There was a preliminary settlement, in which China would give Hong Kong to the British Empire, pay compensation and grant Britain full diplomatic relations. Lin Zexu was also sent into exile. The Chinese troops were basically useless against the British, so many generals committed suicide when failure was certain. The Treaty of Nanjing was signed in 1842, ending the first war. The treaty included the afore mentioned benefits, and also the following: five new ports were opened for trade and residence for British merchants and their families, whom were exempt from Chinese laws, and obliged British law. Opium imports rose and rose, but other trade did not expand as the British had hoped, and they continued to blame the Chinese for this.
The second Opium War started in 1856, and dragged on until 1860. The British demanded for more ports to open, and trade to become easier. Christian missionary work increased in the country during this time, and when a French missionary was executed, the French used it as an excuse to join the war. The joint powers of Britain and France were unbeatable, and they captured more and more cities. In 1858, the Chinese were willing to negotiate and even signed a treaty. They didn't keep their word, however, which lead to increased hostility between the parties. In 1860, the Brits and the French landed near Beijing, and began looting. They also destroyed the Imperial Summer Palace, a complex/garden which was previously owned by the Qing imperial family (The Pekingese royal dog, Looty was kidnapped from here). The emperor fled to Manchuria (northeast China), and his brother ratified the Convention of Beijing and the previous unfulfilled treaty, which gave in to western demands. The Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to the British Empire. The wars ended with a greatly weakened Qing dynasty, which in return led to the fall of the Chinese empire.
The Opium Wars have been portrayed in the following media:
- The Opium War: a 1997 Chinese historical epic.
- Flashman and the Dragon takes place during this conflict and has Flashman serving alongside the soldiers who destroy the Old Summer Palace.
- Spring Pearl: The Last Flower in the Girls of Many Lands series focuses on a teenage girl, Chou Spring Pearl, living during the Second Opium War.
- Twilight Of A Nation: Serves as the backdrop for the drama, when the Taiping Rebellion occurs.
- While playing as the Qing Dynasty in Victoria III, an event will occur soon after the game starts, allowing the player to choose between allowing opium to flow freely into China, or to resist. If the latter is chosen, the AI Great Britain receives an event whereby they are likely choose to fight a war. Considering that allowing opium to flow freely only results in a debuff which lasts for 5 yearsnote , most players will just take it over a war against the British Empire which is near impossible to win.
