In the history of 1840 to 1842, the First Opium War, as an unjust war of aggression launched by Britain, became an indelible pain in the hearts of the Chinese. This war, which ended in defeat, reparations and land cession, also marked the beginning of China's modern history of humiliation.
In 1840, under the pretext of Lin Zexu's Humen cigarette sales, the British decided to send an expeditionary force to invade China. In June, 47 British ships and 4,000 army personnel, led by Rear Admiral George Yilu and commercial superintendent Yi Lu in China, arrived one after another outside the Pearl River estuary in Guangdong Province to blockade Haikou. Since then, the Opium War has officially begun.
Behind the war was the British Empire's desire for a rich market in the East. China, as the world's largest agricultural producer, with its abundant resources and vast market, naturally became the target of the United Kingdom. This war is not based on fair competition, but on naked aggression and plunder. In the name of protecting its own merchants, Britain has imposed inequality on China**, and even threatened and pressured China with force to accept its unreasonable demands.
The outcome of the war was brutal. China suffered huge losses in the war, not only losing its land and sovereignty, but also being forced to accept the shackles of unequal treaties. China and Britain signed the Treaty of Nanjing, the first humiliating treaty in Chinese history. The signing of this treaty not only caused China to begin to degenerate into a semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, but also caused China's international status to plummet.
Looking back at the First Opium War, we can't help but ask: Why did a large country with a history of thousands of years of civilization suffer such great humiliation in such a short period of time?The answer is manifold.
1.The corruption and incompetence of the Qing Dynasty were important reasons for the defeat of the war. In the face of British aggression, the Qing Dynasty did not have enough strategic vision and determination to confront foreign enemies, nor did they effectively organize and lead the people to resist.
2.At that time, China's level of social and economic development lagged far behind that of Western countries, and its military technology and equipment were also far behind Britain. All these factors put China in an extremely disadvantageous position in the war.
We can't just blame the Qing Dynasty and Chinese society at the time. As a part of the history of human civilization, the outbreak and end of the First Opium War also reflected the great conflict and differences between Eastern and Western civilizations. Britain, as the forerunner of the Industrial Revolution, represents an advanced capitalist civilization;China, as a predominantly agricultural country, is in a relatively backward state. This difference and clash of civilizations eventually led to the outbreak of war and the humiliation of China.
History is a mirror, which allows us to see not only the glory and glory of the past, but also the pain and humiliation of the past. The history of the First Opium War teaches us that if a country does not keep up with the times, evolve and progress, it may face the danger of being eliminated and humiliated. At the same time, it also reminds us that we must always be vigilant and sober-minded and resolutely safeguard the independence, sovereignty and dignity of our country.
Today's China is no longer the China that is at the mercy of others. We have strong national and military strength and are playing an increasingly important role in the international arena. However, the lessons of history tell us that we must not forget the humiliating history of the past, let alone allow the historical tragedy to repeat itself. We must always maintain a modest and enterprising spirit and make unremitting efforts to build a more prosperous and powerful China.