In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor appointed to end the opium trade [1, 5]. Lin took drastic measures:
Britain, viewing the destruction of the opium as an attack on private property and free trade, dispatched a naval task force to China in 1840 [1, 2]. The British Royal Navy, equipped with advanced steamships and superior artillery, easily overwhelmed the outdated Chinese coastal defenses [3, 6]. The Treaty of Nanking how_britain_went_to_war_with_china_over_opium
China was forced to pay 21 million silver dollars for the destroyed opium and war costs [1, 5]. In 1839, the Daoguang Emperor appointed to end
Silver began flowing out of China to pay for the drug, crippling the Chinese economy [2, 6]. The Breaking Point: Commissioner Lin Zexu The Treaty of Nanking China was forced to
This conflict marked the beginning of China's "Century of Humiliation" and set the stage for the Second Opium War a decade later [3, 6]. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more
He wrote a famous letter to Queen Victoria appealing to her morality (which she likely never saw) [4, 5]. He blockaded foreign merchants in Canton [1, 3].