The Second Opium War, an invasion of China led by Western powers in the mid-19th century, was a catastrophe in the years of peace and prosperity. This battle not only changed the social form of China, but also gave birth to the later anti-Japanese feat and the beginning of the construction of modern China. Today, we will lead you to review this cruel and profound historical event.
The war, which originated from the Yarrow incident, began on October 23, 1856 and lasted from October 24, 1860, to the Chinese people. The Western powers invaded strongly, and China at that time undoubtedly fell into the abyss of pain. In this expedition against China, the heroic resistance of the citizens of Guangdong and the victory of the Manchu warriors at the mouth of Dagu in Tianjin brought some bright spots to this war. However, history tells us that there will inevitably be numerous ** and destruction in it. Whether it is commercial facilities or government buildings in the Qing Dynasty, they have been severely hit.
It was against this background that the Westernization Movement, which was newly recruited into the Beijing Division, was carried out. Its intention is to learn from the West and find an outlet for China's modernization and development. The most well-known event was the signing of the Treaties of Tientsin and Peking, which marked the complete loss of control of territory by the Qing court. Grant, a war hero comparable to Napoleon, was undoubtedly responsible for the destruction of a large number of Qing Dynasty palaces and wealth, in other words, the actions of the British and French forces in the Beijing-Tianjin area cut off the backbone of the Qing Dynasty.
During this period, the United States' attitude toward China was unpredictable and full of uncertainties. As the main backing force behind the Anglo-French struggle for hegemony in China, they do not seem to be satisfied with the above. The United States chose to secretly use the Qing Dynasty to observe the current situation and look for opportunities to seize actual interests. In 1867, Erdeni, the executioner who burned the Old Summer Palace, as a representative of the colonialists, was well aware of his sins. In order to atone for his crimes, he began to actively seek cultural exchange activities with the Chinese side, to contact and gain a deeper understanding of oriental culture, and to play a role in the restoration of the Old Summer Palace. In those days, he was probably the only one who could have skillfully used atonement to mend relations between the two countries.
The battle ended with the signing of the Treaty of Beijing. It was not until the frustration and aggression that came into our sight that China felt more deeply trapped in internal and external troubles. Interestingly, the British and French powers had a strategy for attacking China. They used the Treaty of Wangxia as a lever to find a pretext to snatch more aggressive rights and interests in China. And the reason they are motivated to do so is simply because they want to modify (or regain their desired status and rights) an unequal treaty that has no legitimacy to speak of. This has to make people sigh at their greed and oppressive hearts.
This humiliating history has had a profound and heavy impact on Chinese society. It has caused the weather of a great country to wither again, indirectly increased the burden on the people, and also heralded that ancient China must move towards a new unknown world. No one can avoid such challenges, and behind every challenge we have to accept next, we will be burdened with deep helplessness and pain.
The aftermath of the war still reverberates in the long river of Chinese history. And the Chinese people are actively responding to this challenge, exploring their own path, and moving forward bravely. Although the road ahead is difficult, full of unknowns and risks, it is precisely because of these challenges that the Chinese have inspired an indomitable ambition in their hearts. After all, this war once again awakened China, made the Chinese people deeply aware of the crisis of the country and the nation, and further promoted the historical process of national liberation.
All in all, the dark era of the Second Opium War was full of ugly encounters of plunder and oppression, which weakened and deprived China of its sovereignty and increased the trauma of Chinese society. Looking back on this history, we learn from it that will help us better understand not only the past, but also where we are now, and thus shape the future.