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And the problems started...
Due to the inconformity on the English traders that take a 9 month route with the Chinese rules on trading, they decided to start with the piracy and smuggling. -
England financial crisis
Due to their lost on the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars, England had lost much of its treasury. It also lost their most important overseas colonies: USA. All of this made the European country look for more trade opportunities in new territories. -
The industrialised world into Asia
The European world started to travel all over the world to get raw materials. China had stayed very far from the international trade, but the demands for Chinese good increased, specially on silk, porcelain and tea. The emperor decided to place a strict control on foreign trade. They only allowed trade on a small amount of port, the main one was Canton. In addition, the foreigns were not allow to set foot on the mainland of the empire. -
Increased measurement from Qing Dynasty to control the trade
All the good and merchandise that came from the outside world into China was taxed and regulated by the Hong monopoly. The restriction advanced in such way that more laws were implemented and the ports limited to only Canton. -
Even more restriction
Thanks to an independent soldier from the Honorable East India Company that took his unconformity toward the free trade into his own hand, the Chinese decided to implement even more restriction to the trade -
The Black Tea
British became obsessed with the Chinese product and needed more of it, but due o the canton strict rules of trading, it was not posible. Tea was 10% of the total England revenue. -
Diplomatic official meeting
England decided that they needed to head to China to start an open trade, because they didn't had the currency to sustain such an unfair trading system, in which they gave much and received little. The English sanded George Macartney. They took all of the luxuries that they could imagine to convince the Emperor. Due to the differences on cultures, the meeting didn't went well. Trade remained the way it was. -
The magic thing...Opium
After the HEIC failed to achieve their objective in India, due to the complications and the competitive market of Cotton (USA and Egypt beat them), they found out that puppies (the plant from which opium comes from) grow really well . What they did was grow the plant on Indian territory, turn it into drug, and sell it to the Chinese smuggles that took all the risk. With that income the HEIC recovered money that would be used to buy even more tea from China an then sell it to the British. -
Calcutta
This was the epicenter of the market where opium was sold. This region was the closest point from China and the part of India that was controlled by the HEIC. The smuggles were the ones in charge of introducing the drug to China, this because the HEIC could not afford to affect its honorable name. -
Anti-Opium task force
The emperor named LinZexu as the official to deal with all the effects of Opium in the nation. He was really good at his job and really hard. -
Bye Bye honorables
British decided to take out of the opium trade the HEIC. This happened mainly due to the fact that England wanted to export even more opium for lower prices and for more people. -
Opium sales skyrocket
By 1835 this market was moving more than 3.064.000 POUNDS of opium into China each year -
The Epicenter finally found
LinZexu finally reached the origin of the Opium, Canton. He was really strong with all the ones that broke the Chinese law. Then he found out that the western traders were partly responsible for the Opium. He then decided to take all the Opium from the English, they resisted fro more than 1 moth, and then decided to do as LenZexu ordered. In total, they gave 21.000 chest of Opium, it was all burned and all the money was lost. -
2 against 1
2 drunken British sailor beat a man to death. LinZexu demanded the execution of the sailors, but instead they were taken to England to serve HardLabor. -
The blockade
The British set up a blockade. The Chinese would allow the ships to duck in into Canton only if they agreed to not sell opium and to respect the Chinese law. The British send the order that not a singles ship can trade with the Chinese -
THE START
After the British were extradited into the island of Hong Honk, they went back to the mainland so that they could buy some food. When they were returning a Chinese ship attacked the British ship, and thus the war start. -
BATTLE: The Royal Saxon
A British ship decided to get to Canton. They ignored the signals of the British ships to stop, so one of the blockade ships on the blockade made a warning shot. This altered the Chinese and so, they send ships to protect the Royal Saxon. This is the start of a new battle. The British won by far, the technology and mechanism was superior in all aspects -
Reinforcements are in the way!
The British took action to win the war, they transfer all the marines and soldiers from the HEIC from India to China. Also, new ships began to be used. Like the iron steam and the sail ships. Finally, the help arrived at Chusan, an island of China but way higher. -
BATTLE: Chusan
As negotiations were bad, the British decided to take by force the island of Chusan. The Chinese flee over night to the mainland. This meant that the British had a "safe" point. This cause the fire of LinZexu -
BATTLE: Chuenpi
This battle lasted only hours. The British technology was far superior. There were rumors among the Chinese that the British killed any captured soldier, so they fought with all they had to death. The data was as followed: 30 British soldiers wounded, meanwhile, 600 Chinese soldiers killed and 100 captured. The battle was again won by the British. Negotiations resumed, agreement were made and the trade would start over in much better terms. At the end, both negotiators were fired and no truce. -
BATTLE: Canton 2.0
The new Qing army was outside Canton ready to attack the port that was taken from them. As normal, the British won, the Chinese tried to surrender, but finally decided not to and lost honorably. The Chinese had to pay the British, caos emerged. At the end the British returned to Hong Honk. -
Next stop, North
The British started to move from Canton to the north-east, this to get to the emperor. They won every battle on their way, each time they were closer to the emperor. Its important to mention that on each fortress the British found Opium Pipes. This means that he Chinese army was addict to the drug they were supposed to be fighting against. On the other hand, the British army was disciplined and honorable, they didn't consumed the drug. -
BATTLE: Shanghai
This major city is taken by the British -
BATTLE: Zhenjiang
The British strike again a victory. Each time closer to their objetive, the emperor. -
Nanking
This was a key point for the war. The city was the door of the Yangtze, the main river of China. If the British took over the city the communications from the river would be cut and the emperor would have to surrender. Because of the previos reasons, there was no battle. The emperor was ready to negotiations. At first the talks went no where.
In the middle of August negotiations finally flowed. The British got everything they wanted, except the legalization of Opium and christian missionaries.
