First Opium War Explained (Great Britain v China)

The First Opium War 1839 - 1842 was fought between the Chinese and British Empires.

Chris Green is The History Chap; telling stories that brings the past to life.

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The Opium Wars were two 19th century wars fought between China and Britain (and also France in the second one). Two mighty and proud empires fighting each other and all, ostensibly about the trade in opium.

The British were trying to export the narcotic into China and the Chinese authorities, unsurprisingly, wanted to stop them.

In this episode, I'm exploring the reasons behind the 1st Opium War 1839-1842, what happened during the war and how it resulted in the British ruling Hong Kong for over 150 years.

And the interesting thing is that despite the name (Opiums Wars), opium was not the only reason these two countries went to war.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:59 Opium Trade
4:38 Other Reasons For War
7:43 Chinese Clamp Down
9:58 Drunken Sailors
11:37 Arrival of HMS Volage
13:34 Battle of Chuenpi
14:19 Parliament Divided
16:43 War
18:55 General Hugh Gough
20:33 Battle of Chusan
22:03 2nd Battle of Chuenpi
23:46 War Resumes
24:19 Canton Captured
24:57 Elliot Replaced
26:04 Battle of Amoy
27:59 Shanghai Captured
28:33 Battle of Zhenjang
29:00 Treaty of Nanking
29:40 Hong Kong - British Colony
30:46 Century of Humiliation

Timeline - The First Opium War
Jan 1839 Viceroy Lin attempts to stamp out opium trade in Canton
Mar 1839 European stock of Opium surrendered & destroyed
July 1839 Kowloon Incident
Aug 1839 Arrival of HMS Volage
Sept 1839 Battle of Kowloon
Oct 1839 British parliament narrowly votes for military expedition
Nov 1839 Battle of Chuenpi
June 1840 British expeditionary forces arrives off coast of China
July 1840 Battle of Chusan
Jan 1841 Second battle of Chuenpi
Jan 1841 British & Chinese local officials agree peace treaty (repudiated by both governments)
Feb 1841 British capture Whampoa
May 1841 Chinese counter-attack in Pearl River theatre of war
June 1841 British capture Canton
July 1841 Elliot replaced by Henry Pottinger
Aug 1841 Battle of Amoy
Oct 1841 British re-occupy Chusan
March 1842 Battle of Ningpo
March 1842 British capture Zhapu
June 1842 British capture Shanghai
July 1842 British win battle of Zhenjang (Chin Kinag)
August 1842 Treaty of Nanking - first of the "Unequal Treaties".
British gain possession of Hong Kong (in perpetuity).
1856 Second Opium War starts
1900 Boxer Rebellion
1997 Hong Kong returned to China

Sources used to produce this episode include:
"Queen Victoria's Little Wars" - Byron Farwell
"Britain's Forgotten Wars" - Ian Hernon
The National Army Museum
Wikipedia

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My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.

History should not be stuffy or a long list of dates or kings & queens.
So rather than lectures or Youtube animations, I tell stories that bring the past to life.

My aim is to be chat as if I were having a coffee or meal with you. Jean in Maryland, USA recently wrote: "Chris, is the history teacher I wish I had at school!"

Just for the record, I do have a history degree in Medieval & Modern history from the University of Birmingham.

Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Chris Green Communication Ltd t/a The History Chap. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Chris Green Communication Ltd does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

[steveosborne]

My great grandfather fought in the first opium war he was a sergeant in the 49th Regiment of foot and he was at the siege of Nanking .
Fortunately the surrender and peace treaty was signed just before he had to go over the wall, almost a death sentence !

[stevepecket]

As usual I'm watching in my corner in the pub. Came in early and was quiet so didn't put headphones in. By 5 mins in, there were 10 sat around me. Just shows that if intelligent content is available then there are people crying out for it. Great vid again Chris

[LeslieDevoe]

My full name is Leslie Waterman Devoe. I'm related to Captain Robert Waterman. He was the Captain of the Clipper Ship, Sea Witch. On which he set a record that still stands to this day. From Canton China to the South Street Sea Port, 23:00 Manhattan New York. He also holds the record for the Hong Kong to New York, record. (77 days). Very interesting video. I love your channel Chris is you do great things with it.

[manilatoaster]

Thank you for not being a dirty AI robot.

[HisSco]

A fascinating and complex conflict. Thanks a lot for covering Chris.👍🏻

[brianivey]

A job well done sir. Love these areas of history that get forgotten with the passage of time. Love the channel

[jonnydepp]

Just found you channel tonight, I’m a massive fan of mark felton, and history as a whole, and your channel is an equal of his work, 💯, brilliant stuff and can’t wait to watch all your videos 👍👍

[harryshriver]

Wow, such a fascinating subject, Chris and so well narrated by you. I have heard about the conflict in passing but had no idea of the depths it involved. Well done, amigo and bravo 👏 🙌 👍 I am looking forward to the next installment on your channel. 🎉

[CGM_]

I would be delighted if you would like to do a video (or mini series) on "Irish officers in the British Army". Most Irish people today forget that before 1920, any Irish men serving in the army, were doing so either in the British Army (or Navy for that matter) or those of one of her enemies. For example : Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852) was an Anglo-Irish soldier. Money, education and opportunities explain why 150, 000 Irish people served in the British army between 1793 and 1815.
Both French and Spanish armies welcomed the "Wild Geese" from 1585 to 1818. Not to mention the American, various South American, Austrian and Russian Armies though that's probably outside the scope of your channel.

[Valhalla]

Two companies in Hong Kong and both Scottish companies. Jardine Matheson was the main importer and exporter of the Opium Trade, at one stage they were the biggest trader of Opium the world had ever seen. The other Scottish bank that funded Jardine Matheson ships, was Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) founded by a Scotsman, and Jardine Matheson had directors before 1997 on the board of HSBC.

[BIGBUN]

I would like to thank you for your knowledge and vocal skills. I Am disabled and house bound and finding your channel is very helpful for providing me.with something nice and interesting.To put in my time. Thank you very much.Allan

[peterbarker]

Another wonderful and most informative production, Chris. Keep up the good work, cobber.

[derekp]

Thanks Chris. It was great to learn about how we used to negotiate trade deals, long before the days of the EU and WTO.
I would love to hear your accounts of all those family related VC medal winners.
My late father was awarded the Civil Defence Long Service Medal, from his service as Science Officer to his county. Thankfully, the cold war never turned into WW3 so the county never needed his help to recover from nuclear attacks.

[DarrenMarsh-kxhd]

Very well presented, looking forward to the next chapter.

[davidfromkyushu]

Thank you for making an informative and unbiased video on the topic which explains the war and its background.

[fedecano]

This was an amazing presentation Chris. I think your voice is clear and your English accent elegant and easy to understand. I'm amazed about how eloquent the whole narration sounds. Can I ask you something? do you script the whole thing before hand or its more of an improvisation? Both cases deserve equal admiration cause this must be a few thousand words to write down and then read without committing any blunders if it was scripted and if it was not your knowledge on the subject is superb to be able to talk for 30min and form a cohesive history.
Well I always enjoy your videos and I must admit British History is always interesting to me

PS: the selection of pictures, drawings and maps is always welcome and Im sure you must do some research as well in order to find them

[nnmmnmmnmnnm]

Finally got around to watching this after you recommended it to me in a livestream. It was very informative and objective. Many thanks.

[wilsontheconqueror]

War is about land & money. Whoever wins can claim religious rights, & political freedoms later. But it's money. It's always about money.

[pippohispano]

Yep, you could dedicate an episode on the Goughs. 👍🏻

[olenievart]

Thanks for the information, one of the best British military history YouTube channels, enormous work.