The Opium War(鸦片战争)

Events20,000chestsofOpiumseizedbyChineseBattleatChinkiangBritishandAmericansailorskillachinamanBritishcaptureBoguefortsBritishexpelledandtravelledtoHongKongBritishoccupiedheightsoverlookingCantonBritishrefusetogiveupculpritChinesedefeatedatNingpoandChinhaiChineseEmperorattemptstostampoutOpiumConventionofCheunpiFailureofChinesecounter-offensiveFirstOpiumWarHMSHyacinthandVolagerepell29warjunksShanghaiwasoccupiedwithoutafightTheTreatyofNankingTheOpiumWarEarlyinthe19thcent,BritishmerchantsbegansmugglingopiumintoChinainordertobalancetheirpurchasesofteaforexporttoBritain.TheOpiumWar,alsocalledtheAnglo-ChineseWar,wasthemosthumiliatingdefeatChinaeversuffered.1839–42and1856–60,twowarsbetweenChinaandWesterncountries.ThefirstwasbetweenGreatBritainandChina.In1839,ChinaenforceditsprohibitionsontheimportationofopiumbydestroyingatGuangzhou(Canton)alargequantityofopiumconfiscatedfromBritishmerchants.GreatBritain,whichhadbeenlookingtoendChina'srestrictionsonforeigntrade,respondedbysendinggunboatstoattackseveralChinesecoastalcities.China,unabletowithstandmodernarms,wasdefeatedandforcedtosigntheTreatyofNanjing(1842).TheseprovidedthattheportsofGuangzhou,Jinmen,Fuzhou,Ningbo,andShanghaishouldbeopentoBritishtradeandresidence;inadditionHongKongwascededtotheBritish.In1856asecondwarbrokeoutfollowinganallegedlyillegalChinesesearchofaBritish-registeredship,theArrow,inGuangzhou.BritishandFrenchtroopstookGuangzhouandTianjinandcompelledtheChinesetoacceptthetreatiesofTianjin(1858),towhichFrance,Russia,andtheUnitedStateswerealsoparty.LinTse-hsDeeplyconcernedabouttheopiummenace,LinTse-hsmaneuverdhimselfintobeingappointedImperialCommissioneratCantontocutofftheopiumtradeatitssourcebyrootingoutcorruptofficialsandcrackingdownonBritishtradeinthedrug.Therewasasensationaleventcommondedbyhim:BurningofOpiumStocksinHumen(beach).Ofalltheimperialofficials,however,LinwasthefirsttorealizethemomentuouslessonoftheOpiumWar.HewascalledthefirstpersonwhoopenedeyestoseetheworldinChinesehistory.Onthewebsite,thereisaMemorialHallofLinTse-hs.Wecansendflowerstohimonthewebsite.Hisfamoussayingis:苟利国家生死以，起因祸福必趋之。