The Opium Wars: A History From Beginning to End

by Hourly History

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.

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Genres: History, Nonfiction, China, War, Asia, Historical, Military History

46 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2018

About the author

At Hourly History, we focus on publishing history books that are concise, straightforward and take no longer than one hour to read.

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Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this inside an hour, and then I read it again. Brilliant! Told me loads, in a well-written, easily digestible fashion: the nuts and bolts of what went on. History in a bite-size, enjoyable form.

China grew opium, sold it across the world, and literally made millions (billions in today’s money)?

No.

The British, those kindly, warmhearted, ‘honourable’ gentlemen from the East India Company, sold opium to the Chinese (making billions) and basically turned half the population into addicts.

Now,... the Chinese were not too happy about this and made complaint: one cannot blame them. The East India Company (the British), not being happy to give up on the money train, put up their objection to the Brits helping in the wellbeing of the Chinese. In order to keep the opium going one way and the money going the other, they sent in the gunships, blowing most of the Chinese boats out of the water, killing hundreds, at little cost to the British.

The first war not being bad enough. When the Chinese became grumpy over the presence of both the British and their opium, they started the second opium war.

The biggest drug running cartel in the world to date was run by The East India Company (the British).

A shocking read but, a great read.

I shall read more of these hourly histories - they are the biz!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sharp and very much to the point. I remember this as part of my second-year at university. I can also remember getting none of the enjoyment I found when reading this.

Fifty pages and marketed as 'Hourly-History'. If you fancy a glimpse at how entertaining WELL-WRITTEN history can be - read this.

For those who have no real idea of the mercenary, murderous, East-India Company and its origins you'll find a starter-for-ten here ...

... "Who operated the largest and most profitable drug-running cartel in the history of the world?"

A lesson in how the British so energetically put profit before people.

A thoroughly entertaining read. Top marks!

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains a short history of the Opium Wars between Britain and China. The wars consisted of a number of battles between 1840 and 1860, interspersed with unpopular and unratified treatises which served mainly to buy time for the Chinese. Under dispute was the transporting of Indian opium by the East India Company to China, something that China was striving to stop due to the overwhelming number of Chinese with opium addictions.

China’s humiliating defeat at the hands of the British was the beginning of the end of the Qing dynasty that led to the start of the modern China republic. Britain’s desire for the expansion of the opium trade without regard to the cost to the Chinese has been seen as morally irresponsible, although in due time China’s domestic production of opium replaced the need for importing it. According to William Gladstone, a vocal opponent of Britain’s role in the Opium Wars, “A war more unjust in its origin, a war more calculated to cover this country permanent disgrace, I do not know of, and I have not read of.”

I can always count on Hourly History to provide an accurate and brief overview of historical topics that have piqued my interest. This one is no exception, although a map would have been helpful.

[Jeff Greason · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely short summary of the subject, and the briefness compels tremendous simplification of material. Even given that, a map or two would have been helpful, and some more discussion of the economic imperatives for both sides.

Given those limitations, though, appears to be a relatively factual summary of the Opium Wars and the downfall of the Qing dynasty. The book comes off as rather biased against the Western powers but I think any honest treatment of the Opium Wars would necessarily do so -- even contemporary observers thought British behavior unjustifiable.

Worth reading this or a longer topic; Chinese behavior in the modern world has some roots in the Opium wars -- both in the justifiable sense that they were ill-treated by Western powers, and in the tactic of treating diplomacy as nothing more than a tactic to buy time for military preparation, which certainly has continued.

[Phillip Steinmetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written!

I enjoyed this very much. Concise, yet written in an engaging and interesting manner, it covers the period of the 1800s in which the Opium Wars took place, and discusses the reasons for the cause and end of those conflicts, ushering in the end of the Qing dynasty.

[Estifanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝑨𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒔 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒏 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒚, 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅’𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒍 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒔. 𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒔 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒚. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅."

4⭐

[Dr.J.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"“A war more unjust in its origin, a war more calculated to cover this country with permanent disgrace, I do not know, and I have not read of.”

"—William Gladstone"

"There seems little doubt that the refusal of the Chinese authorities to release the arrested crew members would have led to more conflict with the British if the Indian Mutiny had not broken out in 1857. This was a large-scale rebellion against the rule of the East India Company in India which required large numbers of troops to suppress, meaning that military forces could not be spared for action in China. However, the death of a French missionary gave the French an excuse to begin their own military action against the Chinese."

Author and publishers hereby establish their racist and colonialist credentials in terming, the First War of Independence of India against British, a "rebellion" - as British did, as if Britishhad a right bestowed from heavens above to subjugate India.
***

"Armed groups fighting for the control of a lucrative and illegal narcotics trade is something we commonly associate with organized crime and the underworld of large modern cities. But it hasn’t always been like that. ... "

That's a matter of definition of crime, isn't it!

" ... In the nineteenth century, two of the world’s most powerful nations went to war over illegal narcotics. One fought for the right to keep these drugs out of their country. The other fought for the right to supply the increasing numbers of people who were hopelessly addicted."

In what way were these nations not criminals, in attempting to loot and rob whole nations and continents? They moreover knew these were deadly addictions they were trying to inflict on whole nations, too.

"Great Britain’s wars with China over the supply of opium to Chinese addicts was one of the most shameful episodes of British Imperialism, referred to by no less a figure than William Gladstone as wars “calculated to cover this country with permanent disgrace.” The outcome of these wars was victory for Britain, the virtual destruction of China as a world power, and the creation of millions of drug addicts."

Author forgets the just as deadly infliction, in the process, against India in forcing farmers to grow opium instead of crops vital for livelihood and life.

" ... How did a country which boasted of the “glorious traditions of the British Flag” come to fight a war not just on behalf of drug smugglers, but in order to force a sovereign nation to accept their pernicious trade? ... "

That this boast was not only empty but false, can only be seen by those who suffered them and their criminally fraudulent colonialism.
***

"“The British seizure of Hong Kong was an aspect of one of the most ugly crimes of the British Empire: the takeover and destruction of India, and the use of India to flood China with opium.”

"—Robert Trout"
***

"Tensions ran high between the Chinese authorities and foreign merchants in Canton. Then, in July 1839, a group of British sailors enjoying shore leave in Kowloon, a port near Hong Kong, drank rather too much rice wine. They then became involved in an argument with a local man, Lin Weixi, who they proceeded to beat to death. Superintendent of Trade Charles Elliot had the two sailors said to be responsible for the murder arrested, and compensation was paid to the family of Lin Weixi. Lin Zexu was not satisfied with these actions and demanded that the men be handed over to the Chinese authorities to stand trial. Elliot refused, and the sailors were tried on a British ship and sentenced to periods of hard labor in Britain (though these sentences would later be overturned when the men returned to England). ... "

Typical. Dyer, who conducted the genocide in Amritsar at Jallianwala Bagh, was practically rewarded substantial England for killing well over a thousand civilians, including babies, children, women, old and young people, shot at pointedly without Amy possible venue of escape.

"Lin Zexu responded by banning the sale of food to British merchants or ships and deploying war junks to the mouth of the Pearl River where they could control access to Canton.

"In late August 1839, a ship operated by a British merchant who was known to have been involved in smuggling opium was attacked by pirates in the South China Sea. Rumors spread amongst the British that this was a covert attack carried out by the Chinese navy and authorized by Lin Zexu. Concerned, Elliot ordered all British ships to leave Chinese ports and banned British trade with China until the threat of the death penalty for merchants dealing in opium was lifted. By the end of August, over 60 British ships with more than 2,000 people aboard were anchored off the Coast of China with limited supplies of food and water. ... "

But they didn't go back, did they!

" ... On August 30, a Royal Navy sailing frigate, HMS Volage, arrived to protect the British ships.
***

"On September 4, Elliot sent an armed schooner accompanied by a cutter into the port of Kowloon to buy supplies for the British ships. The harbor was protected by three war junks which allowed the British ships to pass. The British were provided with basic necessities but were prohibited from trading with the locals by the Chinese commander of the Kowloon fort. Dissatisfied, Elliot issued an ultimatum—either the Chinese provided supplies or the British ships would open fire. At three o’clock that afternoon, the British ships opened fire on the war junks and the fort. Both returned fire, and the exchange of shots continued until darkness fell. At that point the Chinese war junks withdrew, and Elliot was able to bribe local merchants to provide supplies. He also had a paper printed which was circulated in Kowloon. It read: “The men of the English nation desire nothing but peace; but they cannot submit to be poisoned and starved. The Imperial cruizers they have no wish to molest or impede; but they must not prevent the people from selling. To deprive men of food is the act only of the unfriendly and hostile.” When they had obtained the required supplies, the two British ships left Kowloon and returned to where the other British ships were at anchor."

No one had stopped them from returning. They weren't arrested, merely stopped from trading. Forcing their trade on China and on Tibet is where England sowed seeds of future disaster on world.

"The commander of Kowloon fort issued a communiqué announcing a great victory over the British in the Battle of Kowloon. Two British warships had been sunk, he claimed, and many British sailors killed. Most importantly, he told his superiors that the British had been prevented from obtaining any supplies in Kowloon. The truth was that no British ships had been sunk or even seriously damaged, no British sailors had been killed, and the British had been able to obtain all the supplies they wanted. This habit of local commanders issuing triumphant communiqués which bore little relation to reality was to be a notable feature of the coming conflict."

Perhaps, but notice the trajectory since, of England and of China.
***

"Then, in October 1839, a British merchant ship, the Thomas Coutts, arrived in Canton. The owners of the ship were Quakers who had always refused to take part in the opium trade, something that was known to the Chinese authorities. The Thomas Coutts unloaded its cargo in Canton, defying Elliot’s instruction that all trade with China was to be suspended.

"On November 3, a second Quaker-owned British merchant ship, the Royal Saxon, attempted to sail up the Pearl River to Canton. Two Royal Navy ships patrolling in the area fired warning shots at the Royal Saxon, and several Chinese war junks sailed down the river to investigate. The exchange of fire which followed became known as the First Battle of Chuenpi. The Chinese war junks protecting the Royal Saxon proved to be almost completely ineffective in battle—one was blown up, three were sunk, and several more were seriously damaged while the British ships virtually escaped damage, though one British sailor was slightly wounded. The Chinese war vessels withdrew to Canton, and the Royal Saxon followed. The official Chinese report of the action noted another great victory against the British. This odd little battle, where British ships opened fire against a British merchant ship is by some viewed as the official beginning of the First Opium War as opposed to the Battle of Kowloon on September 4.
***

"The British government was opposed in its desire for war by both the Tory and Liberal parties, but in a debate in Parliament in 1840, it was agreed that Britain would go to war with China, ostensibly to uphold the principles of free trade but in reality to protect the lucrative British narcotics trade. ... "

Reality of West, isn't it! Subsequently when US was shouting about free trade, that only lasted until Japanese goods flooded US markets at their low cost of production, and then US had politicians shouting about Japan dumping goods in US markets!

Strangely enough, China flooding US with goods produced not only cheaply but cheap due to a communist economy, has produced no protest whatsoever, exposing the pretense that there were principles involved.

" ... The war was not planned as a full-scale invasion of China, but rather as a punitive expedition which would attack Chinese ports and military installations in order to force the Chinese to accede to British demands, which included not just the restitution of the opium trade but the payment of compensation for the opium which had been confiscated and destroyed on the orders of Lin Zexu.

"While the British assembled their forces in Singapore, Elliot withdrew his small fleet to safer waters, though British warships continued to patrol off the Pearl River."
***

"“A war more unjust in its origin, a war more calculated to cover this country with permanent disgrace, I do not know, and I have not read of.”

"—William Gladstone"
***

"There seems little doubt that the refusal of the Chinese authorities to release the arrested crew members would have led to more conflict with the British if the Indian Mutiny had not broken out in 1857. This was a large-scale rebellion against the rule of the East India Company in India which required large numbers of troops to suppress, meaning that military forces could not be spared for action in China. However, the death of a French missionary gave the French an excuse to begin their own military action against the Chinese."

Author and publishers hereby establish their racist and colonialist credentials in terming, the First War of Independence of India against British, a "rebellion" - as British did, as if Britishhad a right bestowed from heavens above to subjugate India.
***

"The person in charge of the Anglo-French forces was James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin and British high commissioner and plenipotentiary in China and the Far East. Lord Elgin was faced with the decision of what to do in order to punish the Chinese for the torture and execution of the envoys. Initially, he favored burning the Forbidden City, the vast imperial palace complex in the heart of Beijing. This site comprised almost 1,000 buildings spread over almost 200 acres. Elgin believed that the destruction of Forbidden City, one of the most revered sites in China, would send an appropriate message to the emperor to dissuade him from ordering the execution of any more Western envoys. However, the French believed that this might be counter-productive in that it would constitute such an affront to the imperial dynasty that it might prevent them from signing a peace treaty. Instead, Elgin agreed to the burning of the Yiheyuan (the Summer Palace) and the Yuanmingyuan (the Old Summer Palace).

"These two palaces were places of great antiquity and architectural interest, and both were packed with artwork and treasure. Nevertheless, they were thoroughly looted of all their treasures before being burned to the ground on October 18, 1860. On the same day, Prince Gong ratified the Treaty of Tientsin during what has become known as the Convention of Beijing, bringing the Second Opium War officially to an end."

This wanton destruction of treasures of China by Anglo-French forces isn't publicised, is it!

"The Convention of Beijing included an agreement by China to pay an indemnity of eight million taels of silver to Britain and France, the ceding of Kowloon (a large port close to Hong Kong) to the British, and granting Christians throughout China the right to own property and to evangelize without restriction. Most importantly to Britain, the opium trade was legalized. With the ratification of the treaty, the British had achieved everything they had set out to do in China."
***

"“Beyond a doubt, by 1860 the ancient civilization that was China had been thoroughly defeated and humiliated by the West.”

"— Immanuel Chung-Yueh Hsü"

And hence the not only inclination of China to left, but the vicious turn it took.
***

"In Britain, the defeat of China and the subsequent Convention of Beijing were seen as a great victory and in particular as a triumph for Lord Palmerston, who became even more popular than before. British merchants took advantage of the opening of trade with China to establish even more lucrative trading routes which included the now legal selling of opium. But not everyone in Britain was delighted at the outcome of the war. British Chancellor of the Exchequer William Ewart Gladstone was a particularly vociferous opponent of the Opium Wars and the British trade in opium in general. Gladstone, who would go on to be leader of the new Liberal Party and British prime minister in 1868, referred to the wars as “Palmerston’s Opium Wars” and said that he lived “in dread of the judgments of God upon England for our national iniquity towards China.”"

Came soon enough.

"Despite growing concern in Britain about the morality of the opium trade with China, it continued for many years after the end of the war. In the end, it wasn’t moral outrage that caused the opium trade with China to decrease—it was the increasing cultivation of poppies and the domestic production of opium within China. By 1884, a British journalist would write: “We English, by the policy we have pursued, are morally responsible for every acre of land in China which is withdrawn from the cultivation of grain and devoted to that of the poppy; so that the fact of the growth of the drug in China ought only to increase our sense of responsibility.”

"The British export of opium from India to China did not finally end until the fall of the Qing government in 1912, but by that time domestic production of opium was more than capable of keeping up with demand. Opium addiction continued to be a major problem in China up until Mao Zedong’s communist revolution led to the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Under Mao’s leadership, opium addiction was substantially reduced by forcing more than ten million known addicts to accept often brutal and arbitrary treatment and by the execution of thousands of dealers. Despite these measures, it was estimated in 2003 that China still had two million regular opium users and one million registered addicts. All can be traced directly back to the British trade in Opium and the Chinese defeat in the First and Second Opium Wars."

Facts far more gruesome than the ending of a work by Amitav Ghosh on the topic!
***

"The Xianfeng Emperor died on August 22, 1861, in his Summer Palace in Chengde. He was succeeded by his six-year-old son, Zaichun, but his brother Prince Gong was appointed regent and became the de-facto leader of China. Humiliating military defeats in the Opium Wars and the continuing effects of the Taiping Rebellion (which would not end until 1864) left Imperial China in a seriously weakened state. It was clear that Chinese military forces were not able to fight their Western counterparts on equal terms. This led to the creation of what became known as the Self-Strengthening Movement. One of the most influential figures behind this movement was the respected scholar Feng Guifen who wrote several essays in the period immediately following the end of the Second Opium War. These considered what the Chinese needed to do to improve their military capabilities to the point where they could fight successfully against the West. In one essay, On the Manufacture of Foreign Weapons, Feng wrote: “What we have to learn from the barbarians is only the one thing—solid ships and effective guns.”

"For more than 30 years the Qing dynasty adopted the suggestion made by Feng and other members of the movement. New dockyards and arsenals were created using Western technology to build ship and weapons that were at least equal to those used by Western armies. Training was also addressed, and thousands of naval and military cadets were sent for training in academies in Britain, France, and Germany. These cadets brought back to China knowledge of the latest military strategy and tactics, and these were in turn incorporated in training in Chinese military and naval training establishments. By the late 1880s, the Chinese Beiyang Fleet was equipped with modern ships and was the largest naval unit in Asia and the eighth largest military fleet in the world.

"In 1894, the modernized Chinese army and navy were tested for the first time when the First Sino-Japanese war broke out. Japan, like China, had been intent on improving its military and naval units since the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in the late 1860s. By 1894, Japan was beginning to challenge China as the dominant Asian power, and war broke out over control of the Korean Peninsula. Despite improvements in its military and naval forces, this war proved as disastrous for the Chinese as the Opium Wars had been. After ten months of unbroken defeats on sea and land, China sued for peace and handed control of Korea to Japan. This marked an important shift in power in Asia and represented a major loss of prestige to the Qing dynasty. This led directly to the Xinhai Revolution of 1911 and the abdication of China’s last emperor the following year. After 2,000 years of imperial rule and a position as a major world power, China entered the modern era in 1912 with the formation of the Republic of China."
***

"The combination of defeat in the First and Second Opium Wars and the continuing Taiping Rebellion undermined a dynasty that had ruled China for 2,000 years. For almost the first time, growing numbers of Chinese people began to question whether Imperial China had become so weak that it could no longer protect its interests; it was a short step to open rebellion and the establishment 50 years later of a ....

[Pratip Vijayakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know such a war existed until I read this book. I know we are talking about History but the Author could have presented it in a much more digestible format instead of going in a very dull way nevertheless it was indeed an eye-opening Short-read and I might read more of Hourly History Short Reads.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year I made a conscious effort to add more non-fiction to my Read list. I now found that non-fiction can be as interesting a thriller fiction. Books by Hourly History is definitely a good place to start which packs enough information in less than 80 pages.
Great Britain's wars with China over the supply of opium to Chinese addicts was one of the most shameful episodes of British Imperialism, referred to by no less a figure than William Gladstone as wars "calculated to cover this country with permanent disgrace."

"The British seizure of Hong Kong was an aspect of one of the most ugly crimes of the British empire: the takeover and destruction of India, and the use of India to flood China with Opium"
I always wondered why Hong Kong was under British rule for 100 years and now I know why.

[Kong Kong · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very concise history of the opium war but contains all the major facts and should be sufficient for those new to the subject a general impression on what happened less than 200 years ago, before china became the "yellow peril", "the sick man of asia", the chicom, the "chingchong laundrymen", etc.

perhaps it might also help some readers understand what is currently happening in 2020, what with the "china virus", "unfair trading practices of china", "xinjiang concentration camp", etc. and why the chinese government, chinese citizens, and many people of chinese descent all over the world react to this new perceived humiliation the way they do.

you might disagree in drawing a parallel between then and now, but history will no doubt one day tell whether you are on the right side of history today.

disclaimer: i'm of chinese descent. i grew up hearing my elders talking about the opium wars and the 100 years of humiliation, every time i read this history my heart bleeds.

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An OK read

Though the book has some historical inaccuracies, it clearly depicts the western nations as the biggest drug pushers in history. The author also very conveniently side tracks the destruction and looting of the Forbidden City by Lord Elgin

[Susan J Benna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief Overviews

Nice quick overview of the subject matter. Enough material to pique my interest and investigate further. Well worth the time.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to learn more about history by combining my love of books in general (especially historical fiction) and my love of history. To do this, I'm trying to learn about the history and facts of historical fiction books that I've read. I had just read Tai-Pan (amazing historical fiction work about the founding of Hong Kong and the Opium Wars in 19th century China, part of James Clavell's Asian Saga), so here I am.

I took off one star because of its length. You could easily finish this book in one sitting, but I mistakenly didn't take "Hourly History" literally. A good introduction to the Opium Wars, but definitely nothing more.

I took off a second star because there were no images, maps, nothing in this work. It hadn't really occurred to me until I read another person's review, but then I went "Oh yeah I would've actually loved to see some primary sources, or look at a map or two" and so here we are.

I did however highlight some pretty cool tidbits of information, and I wanted to share some quotes:

"Viceroy Ye Mingchen [governor of Canton] was captured and transported to India where he committed suicide by starving himself to death" (31).

"They [a series of British envoys and several British and French journalists] were killed by a method known as slow slicing, a particularly horrible method of execution which involved keeping the victim alive as long as possible while severing parts of the body" (34).

Before you ask, no not all of my highlights were about mutilation and death. I had some pretty long ones that I'd rather paraphrase, such as the complete annihilation of the Chinese army (led by a Mongol and his elite cavalry unit), as well as reading about the incredibly long-lasting effects of these wars, such as the destruction of the custom of having a Chinese emperor, as well as there being some level of opium addiction present in early 2000's China.

Ultimately, this work is a great introduction into a fascinating piece of history, but it is much too shallow if you're looking to truly learn all about the Opium Wars.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm happy I found this short briefer on a specific topic. This was exactly what I needed, plus there was a recording. Unfortunately, I really wish I had read the book rather than listened to it. I would have gotten more out of it by being able to go back and underline names and to see the larger overarching issues. However, listening to the story for the first time did give me an overview; I'll just have to review it again in the future.

I had just finished Babel by RF Kuang. I had lived in Asia and briefly in Hong Kong. I've also tutored 1-2 ex-pat students so I was aware of the differences between American and Chinese views on this important time period. My great grandfather was addicted to opium and died in a den. I've also visited many of the cities cited. This book gave me great perspective on the Western view and a peek into the Chinese view. I'm looking forward to the remaining books in the series (Taiping Rebellion, etc.) and also looking forward to reading about the Dutch and British East Indies trade and Silk Road books. I've been to many of these places, but now, as I am older, I am really to take a more mature nuanced view of the interaction of cultures, wars, and failed diplomacy.

I'm so happy that this series exists, and I'm looking to more topic-driven books.

[Raven Lancaster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never even heard of the opium wars

This waa not a topic we ever discussed in my school world history classes. This whole thing demonstrates the arrogance of the British Empire. Fighting a war over a horribly addictive drug just because they wanted the almighty buck and not caring who they were hurting. After all I've been reading about what was actually going on with the people and foreign affairs during the Victorian era I've reached the conclusion Victoria was a horrible, selfish ruler and her parliament was even worse. On another note I'm pleased this one read like complete book by a single person instead of feeling poorly pieced together like the biography of Vlad the Impaler. The grammar skills still need work however and would benefit from a good editor.

[Wayne London · Rating 5 out of 5]

a good concise recap of the Opium Wars

The cultivation of Poppies in a China in response to the importation of Opium from India into China has had lasting effects up to this day and it was the precursor to the Opium and Heroin trade in Mayanmar(Burma) that lead to the massive heroion problems in the USA many decades later. The book Narcotopia is a good read on the lasting effects from the Opium Wars.

[Assa · Rating 5 out of 5]

La yo del colegio y univ se hubiera demorado semanas en terminar un libro de historia y acá estoy. Es increíble lo fácil de leer que es cuando es un tema que te interesa. Lo leí para entender mejor el subtono de Babel de R. F. Kuang y no solo me culturizó, me hizo sentir emociones la injusticia. Un libro de historia!!!!! Cortito pero suficiente. Ahora que haya usado magia con los silver bars tiene más sentido. Hasta Canton, y Calcutta es mencionado.

[Ta0paipai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, Concise

In less than an hour I went from knowing nothing of The Opium Wars to having a solid overview of the event. I'll echo some other reviewers complaints in that, some maps depicting where events took place (as described in the book) would help a great deal. Otherwise it was a quick, informative, well-written book.

[Thordur · Rating 4 out of 5]

History being not fair!

Mid 19th century. Britain is selling opium from India to China. China does not like that. War. Negotiations. War again. An uneven war for Britain has a better fleet. China looses the war in the end and Opium is sold again to China. 49 pages tells you all about this. History seldom talked about.

[William Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We Are Next

This was an excellent short history of what happened to China in the mid-1800's to early twentieth century. Drugs wars, corruption, weak government policies, addiction and the collapse of 2000 years of imperial rule. You can see nearly identical events unfolding in the USA right before our eyes. Humans seem destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and easy to read

Excellent and brief review of the occupation of much of China and the forced addition of millions of China, primarilary by the British with involvement with French assistance. A shameful episode in British history.

[Courtney Misich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A concise history

This is a great concise history of both sides of the opium wars. I wish there was a little more of the Chinese perspective but overall if you're looking for an introduction. Check this out

[Bern Callahan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly written and surprising. I certainly didn't know how badly the Western industrialized nations treated China in the mid 19th century. This is good background for understanding the flood of opiates entering the US and Canada from Asia.

[Joseph Donigian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Colonial British Empire and China

This is a little piece of history I was unaware of, I was aware of the Boxer Rebellion but the Opium Wars were far worse to China. Both took advantage of China's week navy, and Britain's strong navy.

[j cannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always wondered what the opium wars were all about

Nicely concise description of the people, places, and things that caused the British to
become the largest drug dealing cartel in the world, and create a crack like epidemic to
profit from the misery of a foreign land.

[Elliot Limberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

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.

[Kevin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of a horrible chapter in China's history.

Great overview of a horrible chapter in China's history. This book was concise, yet thorough. It provided insights on British imperialism and sets the stage for a brutal 20th century.

[Tony DeBias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book

One Very good and detailed short book on the Nasty
British Imposition of the OPIUM trade on the Chinese people

[Anil Swarup · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fascination offering from Hourly History. Succinct analyses of the events that led to the Opium Wars and the consequences thereof make the book eminently readable.

[Sandra Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and informative

Easy to read, informative without being too confusing with all the names and chinese provinces and not too long would recommend