Opium Wars

The Opium War was fought between Great Britain and China (Qing Dinasty) from 1840 to 1842, caused by a dispute over the trade of opium.

Britain started selling large quantities of opium to China at the end of the 18th century, causing financial problems in China.

In 1838, the Emperor Daoguang sent Lin Zexu to Guangzhou to control the trade of opium. On June 3, 1839, Lin burnt 118 kilogram of opium in Humen, Guangdong. The British were angry over this and started the war one year later, under the name of "free trading". The war ended in two years' time, with the full victory of the British side. The Treaty of Nanking, the first treaty in Chinese history, was signed.