The Opium Wars: A History From Beginning to End (History of China)
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Discover the remarkable history of the Opium Wars…
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Violent confrontation between armed groups over the supply of illegal narcotics is something we commonly associate with criminal gangs in modern cities, but in the mid-nineteenth century Great Britain went to war with Imperial China in order to continue to supply Chinese addicts with opium. The two wars which followed have become known as the Opium Wars, and they led to the utter defeat of China, the establishment of a British colony in Hong Kong, and the continuation of a narcotics trade that was worth millions of pounds each year to the British.
The Opium Wars exposed the weaknesses of the Chinese Qing dynasty in terms of its military abilities and internal corruption. They also exposed divisions in Victorian Britain where people were beginning to question the morality of going to war to support an illegal narcotics trade which caused misery and death for millions of Chinese. In the end, the British were able to overcome their reservations and prosecuted these two wars with great success. British casualties were small and the gains enormous—the British opium trade to China would continue for more than fifty years after the end of the Second Opium War.
For the Chinese Qing dynasty, the Opium Wars marked the beginning of the end. Imperial China had endured for two thousand years, but within fifty years of the humiliations of the Opium Wars, a revolution overthrew the imperial court and turned China into a republic. Although they are little remembered today, the Opium Wars changed the face not just of China but also of the whole of Asia. This is the story of those wars.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
- The Joy Plant
- Outbreak of the First Opium War
- British Superiority and the Devil Ship
- The Treaty of Nanking: First of the Unequal Treaties
- The Inevitable Second Opium War
- The Fall of Beijing
- And much more!
So if you want a concise and informative book on the Opium Wars, simply scroll up and click the “Buy now” button for instant access!
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Additional information
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| File size | 3347 KB |
| Simultaneous device usage | Unlimited |
| Text-to-Speech | Enabled |
| Screen Reader | Supported |
| Enhanced typesetting | Enabled |
| X-Ray | Enabled |
| Word Wise | Enabled |
| Sticky notes | On Kindle Scribe |
| Print length | 48 pages |
by Michele, Salisbury
This was for my son who is studying the Opium Wars as part of his history degree. This series of books seems to be useful as a concise, accessible resource to consolidate more in-depth study.
by Peter E Godwin
These books are excellent to introduce the reader to a subject they have probably heard of but not either found the time or book to gain a quick analysis of the subject. Not the greatest moment In British imperial history but one that needs to be told. Two factors that are relevant today, firstly when private companies become more powerful than the state (East India Company then, a multitude of corporate companies today) their actions are not always in the net national interest. Secondly, given the use of military force to impose an unequal trading agreement as well as the awful consequences of the product itself – the Chinese will long remember how they were treated by Britain, something the post Brexit Britain should heed when looking at future trade deals with China
by Kindle Customer
Shocking Reality of Britain’s Colonial Brutality. Many don’t know that Britain was the 1st major drug cartel in global trade.
by El
Another informative book from Hourly History.
The book gives an incredibly sad viewpoint about the Opium Wars and the human cost. It’s very factual, punchy and very real.
It’s worth an hour of anyone’s time.
by Breadfan
If you think the British Empire” on which the sun never sets”was a glorious acievement, then this book will go a long way to shatter your illusions. It details the true events in the 1840’s when Britain and China went to war over China’s refusal to allow the British East India Company to sell Indian grown Opium within China. I found it horrible, yet compulsory reading and proves that we Brits were not the “Good Guys” we claimed to be.
by D.john.G
My fault for not understanding this series are of books you can finish reading in 40-60 mins, but it’s like a thin children’s book with large text. Not very good for a gift.
If you have a interest in the topic yourself just use Wikipedia / YouTube and you’d get more depth.
by Ian Taylor
I think this series is great. Not a subject I wanted to go into in depth but just needed to know what happened and why.
by yachty1949
Well written and informative.