Opium Wars: First Clash (1839-1842)

The Opium Wars took place along the coast of China during the periods 1839-1842 and 1856-1860. The wars began because of a dispute over opium trade. The use of opium, which was wreaking havoc in the Chinese population along the coast, was banned by the Chinese Emperor. He was commonly referred to as the "Son of Heaven" at the time. Britain had a trade imbalance with China, and British merchants - particularly the British East India Company - refused to comply with the ban. War broke out in 1839.

The horrifying aspects of the Opium Wars were the hell of war itself, inherent in any war, but also the disgusting practice of selling opium that destroyed the Chinese people.

The three major changes wrought by the wars were that Britain took over Hong Kong, the ban on opium sales was lifted, and China opened at least temporarily to foreign trade.

It is the last aspect of the wars that could be considered beneficial to China and the world: China moved a step closer to opening itself to foreign trade and society after centuries of insularity from the rest of the world.

Paul Henry Clements, in his book "The Boxer Rebellion: A Political and Diplomatic Review" (1915), agreed with this view: "Whatever may be said of the morality of England's act in waging this particular war, the fact remains that by such means, after diplomacy had failed, China was at last forced into definite trade relations with the world, and that, through the sacrifice of British blood and treasure, other nations were enabled equally to participate in the advantages thus wrung from China."

Lin Zexu, Commissioner of Canton when the First Opium War broke out, wrote a "Letter of Advice" to Queen Victoria sometime before the war. The letter belies a view of Imperial China that borders on the delusional: "A communication: magnificently our great Emperor soothes and pacifies China and the foreign countries, regarding all with the same kindness. If there is profit, then he shares it with the peoples of the world; if there is harm, then he removes it on behalf of the world. This is because he takes the mind of heaven and earth as his mind...

"...our Celestial Court lets tea, silk, and other goods be shipped without limit and circulated everywhere without begrudging it in the slightest. This is for no other reason but to share the benefit with the people of the whole world."

Regardless of the Chinese Emperor's motives, the First Opium War was a clear victory for the British, at least in the military sense. The Chinese lacked the technology of the British Navy, which was able to destroy Chinese vessels and towns along the coast. A truce was reached in 1842.