ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Knowledgia Why did the British Attack China Again? – The Second Opium War
The First Opium War ended with the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, which was supposed to make trade between Britain and China easier, give new rights to British citizens, and hand over Hong Kong to Britain. However, not everything went as planned. By the 1850s, Britain wanted even more influence in China, especially to maximize their control in Hong Kong.
One of the ways Britain tried to expand its influence was by registering Chinese-operated ships in Hong Kong. One such ship was the Arrow, which had a history of piracy. The ship was registered in Hong Kong and flew a British flag, even though it was run by a Chinese crew. In 1856, Chinese authorities in Canton seized the Arrow, accusing it of piracy despite its British flag. This action angered the British government.
Although the Chinese eventually released the crew, Britain’s consul in China, Harry Parks, was not satisfied and was ready to declare war. The British Prime Minister at the time, Lord Palmerston, supported Parks, and soon Britain attacked Canton from the Pearl River. The governor of Canton was captured, and trade between Britain and China came to a halt.
With Canton under British control, the situation escalated. Lord Palmerston was determined to start a second Opium War, even though the British Parliament initially opposed it. He managed to sway public opinion and secure support for the war through a general election.
Britain was not alone in its conflict with China. France also had issues with China and joined forces with Britain. Together, they formed an alliance, while other major powers like Russia and the United States chose to stay neutral. By the spring of 1858, British and French naval forces reached Tianjin and pressured China into peace negotiations.
In June 1858, the Treaties of Tianjin were signed by China, Britain, France, Russia, and the United States. These treaties aimed to open more Chinese ports to Western nations, allow foreigners to travel in China, and establish Western embassies in Beijing. China also had to pay a large sum of silver to Britain and France. However, these treaties only temporarily paused the conflict.
Just a year after the treaties, tensions flared again when a British fleet clashed with Chinese defenders at the Taku Forts. The British, escorting envoys to Beijing, were denied passage and responded by attacking Chinese blockades. Although initially repelled, the British and French forces returned stronger the following year, capturing the forts after intense fighting.
After capturing the Taku Forts, the British and French forces advanced towards Beijing. They defeated a large Chinese army at Zhang Jai and won the Battle of Palikao, which allowed them to enter Beijing. The Western forces looted the Summer and Winter Palaces, marking a significant defeat for China.
The war ended with the Convention of Peking in 1860, which included new treaties between China, Britain, France, the United States, and Russia. These treaties were seen as unfair to China, forcing it to cede territory and ratify previous agreements. Despite the humiliation, China had no choice but to comply.
Interestingly, opium was not the central issue in the Second Opium War, unlike the first. The main conflict arose from dissatisfaction with previous treaties, although Britain’s frustration with China’s refusal to legalize the opium trade played a role. The war eventually led to the legalization of opium trade, benefiting Western powers.
The war was a major embarrassment for China, but not everyone in Britain supported it. William Ewart Gladstone, a future Prime Minister, was appalled by the war’s focus on opium. He criticized the conflict as disgraceful and blamed the Prime Minister for its consequences.
Engage in a classroom debate about whether the British actions leading to the Second Opium War were justified. Divide into two groups: one supporting Britain’s perspective and the other defending China’s stance. Use evidence from the article to support your arguments.
Choose a historical figure from the article, such as Lord Palmerston or Harry Parks, and research their role in the Second Opium War. Present a short monologue or dialogue with another student, explaining your character’s motivations and actions during the conflict.
Work in groups to create a detailed timeline of the key events leading up to and during the Second Opium War. Include important dates, treaties, and battles. Present your timeline to the class, highlighting how each event contributed to the escalation of the conflict.
Examine the Treaties of Tianjin and discuss their impact on China and Western powers. Write a short essay on whether these treaties were fair or exploitative, using evidence from the article and additional research to support your viewpoint.
Research the long-term effects of the Second Opium War on China and Britain. Create a presentation or poster that explains how the war influenced future international relations and trade policies. Discuss how the war’s legacy is viewed in modern times.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided transcript, removing any inappropriate language and ensuring clarity:
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The end of the first Opium War was supposed to bring about easier trade for Britain and China, new rights for British citizens, and the cession of Hong Kong to the British Empire. In reality, only some of this happened as intended. As the name itself implies, this would not be the only Opium War. By the 1850s, Britain had been attempting to gain even more influence and privileges within China, aiming to take full advantage of their position in Hong Kong.
As part of this strategy, the British began to grant registration for some Chinese-operated ships in Hong Kong, one of which was the Arrow, formerly a pirate ship. The Arrow had since been resold and registered in Hong Kong by the British and subsequently flew a British flag, although it was still operated by a Chinese crew. When the Chinese authorities in Canton saw the ship in the fall of 1856, they seized it, claiming it was still being used for piracy, despite the British flag being clearly visible. This action angered the British.
While the Chinese officials would eventually decide to release the crew, it wasn’t enough to satisfy Britain’s consul to China, Harry Parks, who was ready to declare war on China, disregarding the British Parliament’s objections to such a conflict. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister soon joined Parks’ side. As a result, the British launched an attack on Canton from the Pearl River. As relations between Britain and China deteriorated, the governor of Canton was captured by British forces and sent to their Indian colony, halting trade between the nations.
With Canton within their grasp, Britain looked to push further as war became inevitable. By this time, Britain’s Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, was fully in favor of officially launching a second Opium War. When Parliament voted against such a daring endeavor, the Prime Minister ensured that the following general election swung in his favor to secure support for his desired military action, sidelining dissenting parliamentarians.
Britain was not alone in this endeavor, as France had also developed a growing feud with China and hoped to gain from the conflict. A new alliance was formed between the former enemies, France and Britain, while other notable powers, such as Russia and the United States, opted to remain neutral. With just France and Britain taking up arms side by side, tensions escalated in the spring of 1858. The allied naval vessels reached Tianjin by May and began to harass the Chinese coast, quickly pushing the latter into peace negotiations.
By June of the same year, the Treaties of Tianjin were signed by the Chinese Qing Dynasty, the British Empire, Russia, France, and the United States. This series of agreements was meant to end the war altogether but would only pause hostilities. The treaty had several main goals, including opening travel for foreigners into previously closed-off regions of China, opening almost a dozen more ports to Western nations, and establishing Western legations in Beijing. Additionally, China owed millions of taels of silver to both Britain and France, yet this was not enough to satisfy either Western power.
The first signs of renewed warfare came only a year after the 1858 treaties when a dispute between Chinese defenders at the Taku Forts and a British naval fleet turned violent. The British fleet, made up of 2,200 troops spread over 21 ships, was escorting new envoys from France and Britain to Beijing. Upon arriving at the Taku Forts, Admiral Sir James Hope demanded that his fleet be allowed to pass to escort the envoys. This request was denied, and the fleet was instructed to land at Bay Tang and escort the envoys inland from there. Sir James Hope refused to agree, and subsequently, British troops blew up Chinese blockades in the Baihu River in preparation for their advance.
The British began shelling the forts but were ultimately repelled by the Taku defenders. Nevertheless, the following year saw renewed hostilities at the Taku Forts. This time, the Allied French and British troops landed at Bay Tang at the end of July and launched their offensive a few days later. The fight was intense, and after the Allied forces took out the forts’ artillery, combat escalated. The British and French troops eventually forced their way into the first fort, where the battle raged for over three hours before the defenders were defeated. The Allied troops suffered over 100 casualties, but their victory prompted one of the forts to the south to call for a ceasefire. This plea for peace was ignored, and the British and French marched on to the second northern fort.
Despite worsening weather conditions, the Allied forces captured the second fort. Realizing they could not protect themselves, the remaining defenders surrendered. The Chinese leadership recognized that they had run out of options for defeating the British and their allies and opted to re-enter negotiations, even if it meant signing another one of the so-called unequal treaties.
After defeating the Taku Forts, the Western allies marched next to Zhang Jai, where they clashed with a roughly 30,000-strong Chinese force. This ended in an Allied victory, followed only a few days later by the Battle of Palikao, which resulted in the Western forces routing the Chinese and marching into Beijing. The Allied troops plundered the Summer Palace and Winter Palace, marking a significant defeat for China.
Finally, the Convention of Peking ended the brutal war with a series of three new treaties. These agreements were made not just between China, Britain, and France, but also with the United States and the Russian Empire. Once again, this convention was seen as unfair to China, but given the circumstances, there was little that Chinese officials could do. They were pushed into ceding territory to Britain and some to Russia, and the previously signed treaties were ratified, holding China accountable for them.
By 1860, it was clear that the ancient civilization of China had been thoroughly defeated and humiliated by the West. Interestingly, opium took a back seat in this conflict. In the first Opium War, the main issue between China and Britain had been Britain’s opium trade into China, with the latter’s growing intolerance of the highly addictive drug leading to a trade imbalance. Britain would not accept the seizure of its opium stocks at Canton after the ban on the product’s trade, which led to the first war.
In the second Opium War, the main point of strain was mutual dissatisfaction with the prior treaties that had ended the first war, though British frustration with China’s failure to legalize the opium trade was also significant. The second Opium War eventually led to the reopening of legal opium trade into China for the British, making the conflict a success for the Western allies in more ways than just militarily. Overall, the war’s purpose was to increase open trade for Western nations in China, with the legalization of the opium trade being a notable outcome.
The defeats in the war were seen as deeply embarrassing for China. However, not everyone in Britain supported the conflict. One particularly important figure, William Ewart Gladstone, a parliamentarian who would later become Prime Minister, was horrified by Lord Palmerston’s wars over the opium trade. After witnessing the damage the drug could inflict, particularly through its use by his own sister, Gladstone found even the basic acts of trading opium into China to be despicable and inexcusable. He described the war as a calculated endeavor that would bring permanent disgrace to the country, blaming the eager for conflict’s contemporary Prime Minister for the consequences faced by England.
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This version maintains the historical context and details while ensuring the language is appropriate and clear.
Opium – A highly addictive narcotic drug that was historically traded and used as a commodity, particularly in the 19th century, leading to significant social and political consequences. – The British trade of opium in China during the 19th century led to widespread addiction and was a major factor in the outbreak of the Opium Wars.
War – A state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country. – The Opium Wars were a series of conflicts between China and Britain that highlighted the tensions over trade and sovereignty.
China – A large East Asian country with a rich history, which was significantly impacted by Western imperialism in the 19th and early 20th centuries. – During the 19th century, China faced internal strife and external pressures, leading to significant changes in its political and social structures.
Britain – A European country that was a dominant global power in the 19th century, known for its extensive empire and influence over world trade. – Britain’s desire to expand its trade with China led to the imposition of unequal treaties following the Opium Wars.
Treaties – Formal agreements between countries that establish terms for peace, trade, or other mutual benefits. – The Treaty of Nanking, signed in 1842, was the first of the “unequal treaties” that opened several Chinese ports to British trade.
Canton – A major port city in southern China, known today as Guangzhou, which was a focal point for trade and foreign interaction in the 19th century. – Canton was one of the few Chinese ports open to foreign trade before the Opium Wars forced the opening of additional ports.
Beijing – The capital city of China, which has been a central hub of political power and cultural heritage throughout Chinese history. – The signing of the Convention of Peking in 1860 marked the end of the Second Opium War and further opened China to foreign influence.
Alliance – A formal agreement or union between countries or groups for mutual benefit, especially in times of conflict. – The alliance between Britain and France during the Second Opium War exemplified how European powers often collaborated to exert influence in Asia.
Influence – The capacity to have an effect on the character, development, or behavior of someone or something, or the effect itself. – Western influence in China during the 19th century led to significant cultural and economic changes, often at the expense of Chinese sovereignty.
Piracy – The practice of attacking and robbing ships at sea, which was a significant problem in certain regions during historical periods of trade. – Piracy in the South China Sea posed a threat to trade routes and was one of the challenges faced by merchants during the 19th century.
