# Canonical recap data for First Opium War begins (1840)
# Source: https://recap.at/1840/first-opium-war
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: first-opium-war
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1840/first-opium-war"
title: First Opium War begins
subtitle: ""
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1839-03-18
datePrecision: day
year: 1840
decade: 1840
country:
name: China
slug: china
summaryShort: Britain declared war on China in 1840 to force open markets for opium trade, triggering the first of two conflicts that reshaped global commerce and colonial power.
summaryLong: The Treaty of Nanking ceded Hong Kong Island to Britain; control of additional territories (Kowloon and New Territories) came through later treaties on limited leases, and all were returned to China in 1997.
lede: In 1840, Britain declared war on China to force the country to accept opium imports and open its ports to foreign trade. The British Navy crushed Chinese forces, and China was forced to cede Hong Kong and sign treaties that opened its markets on unfair terms. This conflict launched the opium trade's devastating expansion in China and marked the beginning of Western military domination in Asia.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Destroying_Chinese_war_junks%2C_by_E._Duncan_%281843%29.jpg/1280px-Destroying_Chinese_war_junks%2C_by_E._Duncan_%281843%29.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "First Opium War"
importance: 50
sourceConfidence: 50
keyFacts:
- label: War start date
  value: June 1840
- label: Treaty of Nanking signed
  value: August 29, 1842
- label: Chinese indemnity owed
  value: 21 million silver dollars
- label: Opium chests destroyed by Lin Zexu
  value: 20,000+ in June 1839
- label: Treaty ports opened
  value: 5 (Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai)
- label: Territory ceded to Britain
  value: Hong Kong Island
- label: British naval commander
  value: Captain George Elliot.
- label: Chinese official who destroyed opium
  value: Lin Zexu
timeline:
- date: 1839-06-03
  title: Lin Zexu destroys British opium
  description: Chinese official Lin Zexu oversees destruction of over 20,000 chests of opium seized from British merchants in Guangzhou, escalating tensions between Britain and China.
- date: 1840-06-01
  title: British fleet arrives in China
  description: Captain George Elliot leads a British naval squadron to Chinese waters, initiating hostilities without formal declaration of war.
- date: 1840-07-05
  title: First major engagement
  description: British forces attack Guangzhou area, demonstrating naval superiority over Chinese junks and shore fortifications.
- date: 1841-01-26
  title: Convention of Chuenpi signed
  description: British and Chinese officials agree to preliminary truce terms, though fighting resumes when both sides claim the agreement is violated.
- date: 1842-05-01
  title: British capture Woosung and Shanghai
  description: British forces take control of Shanghai and surrounding regions, moving toward more economically vital interior cities and forcing serious Chinese negotiations.
- date: 1842-08-29
  title: Treaty of Nanking signed
  description: China cedes Hong Kong to Britain, pays 21 million silver dollars indemnity, opens five treaty ports to foreign trade, and grants British subjects extraterritoriality in China.
sources: []
related: []
relationships:
- targetSlug: indian-rebellion-1857
  type: echoed
  confidence: 72
  evidence: The Opium War's demonstration of Western military supremacy and coercive trade practices emboldened British imperial expansion in India and normalized violent suppression of non-Western resistance, creating template conditions that would provoke the 1857 Rebellion.
  source: ai
- targetSlug: unification-of-germany
  type: happened_during
  confidence: 58
  evidence: "Both the Opium War (1840–42) and Prussian unification (1871) occurred within the same era of European great-power competition and nationalist consolidation, though the causal link is indirect: the Opium War's success inspired competing powers to seize colonial territories, accelerating the arms race that made German unification strategically urgent."
  source: ai
- targetSlug: american-civil-war-begins
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "First Opium War begins" references "American Civil War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: gulf-war
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "First Opium War begins" references "Gulf War" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
- targetSlug: korean-war-armistice
  type: caused
  confidence: 75
  evidence: Timeline of "First Opium War begins" references "Korean War Armistice Agreement" (2 shared tokens incl. title anchor).
  source: ai
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/The_Chinese_Repository%2C_Vol._IX-_from_May_1840_to_December%2C_1840_%28IA_dli.granth.106223%29.pdf/page1-500px-The_Chinese_Repository%2C_Vol._IX-_from_May_1840_to_December%2C_1840_%28IA_dli.granth.106223%29.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8a/The_Chinese_Repository%2C_Vol._IX-_from_May_1840_to_December%2C_1840_%28IA_dli.granth.106223%29.pdf/page1-500px-The_Chinese_Repository%2C_Vol._IX-_from_May_1840_to_December%2C_1840_%28IA_dli.granth.106223%29.pdf.jpg"
  caption: The Chinese Repository, Vol. IX- from May 1840 to December, 1840 (IA dli.granth.106223)
  credit: Chinese Repository
  width: 750
  height: 1139
  alt: "A dark gray or black book cover with two identification labels in the lower portion: a circular white sticker on the left containing handwritten text reading \"GOD 951.03 CHI 106007\" and a white rectangular barcode label on the right displaying \"00106007\"."
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/The_Examiner_1840-03-15-_Iss_1676_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-03-15_1676%29.pdf/page1-1280px-The_Examiner_1840-03-15-_Iss_1676_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-03-15_1676%29.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/The_Examiner_1840-03-15-_Iss_1676_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-03-15_1676%29.pdf/page1-1280px-The_Examiner_1840-03-15-_Iss_1676_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-03-15_1676%29.pdf.jpg"
  caption: The Examiner 1840-03-15- Iss 1676 (IA sim examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music 1840-03-15 1676)
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 1854
  height: 2845
  alt: Historic newspaper page from The Examiner dated Sunday, March 15, 1840, featuring multiple columns of dense text discussing political matters including Lord Stanley's Registration Bill for Ireland and a celebration of Mr. Byng's fifty years of public service.
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/The_Examiner_1840-05-17-_Iss_1685_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-05-17_1685%29.pdf/page1-1280px-The_Examiner_1840-05-17-_Iss_1685_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-05-17_1685%29.pdf.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/48/The_Examiner_1840-05-17-_Iss_1685_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-05-17_1685%29.pdf/page1-1280px-The_Examiner_1840-05-17-_Iss_1685_%28IA_sim_examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music_1840-05-17_1685%29.pdf.jpg"
  caption: The Examiner 1840-05-17- Iss 1685 (IA sim examiner-a-weekly-paper-on-politics-literature-music 1840-05-17 1685)
  credit: Wikimedia Commons
  width: 1725
  height: 2762
  alt: A historical newspaper front page from The Examiner dated Sunday, May 17, 1840, featuring articles on British politics including discussions of the Ludlow Case and a bill to disfranchise Ireland, printed in black text on a light background.
culturalContext:
topMusic:
- title: God Save the Queen
  artist: British National Anthem
  year: 1840
  note: Established as the official royal anthem in its modern form; symbolized British imperial confidence during the height of Pax Britannica and colonial expansion.
  referenceCard:
  status: ok
  checkedAt: "2026-05-23T08:41:07.070Z"
topFilms: []
topTVShows: []
zeitgeistNote: 1840 Britain was at the apex of industrial confidence and naval dominance; the Opium War represented the ultimate expression of laissez-faire ideology married to imperial muscle-the belief that Western commerce and Christian civilization were not merely superior but destined to reshape the world. In China, the Qing court remained trapped in a tributary worldview that treated foreign powers as barbarian supplicants, making the violent collision inevitable and catastrophic.
comparisonThenNow:
- metric: British opium exports to China
  thenValue: ~1,400 tons annually by 1839
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: 0 tons (illicit trade only)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The legal drug trade that sparked the war is now entirely prohibited; modern narcotics trafficking operates in criminal networks rather than state-chartered monopolies.
- metric: China's share of global GDP
  thenValue: ~32%
  thenYear: 1840
  nowValue: ~18%
  nowYear: 2023
  note: Despite absolute economic growth, China's relative global share has contracted; the century following 1840 saw Western economies surge ahead during industrialization.
- metric: Foreign control of Chinese treaty ports
  thenValue: 5 major ports (Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Ningpo, Shanghai) plus extraterritorial zones
  thenYear: 1842
  nowValue: 0 (full Chinese sovereignty restored)
  nowYear: 2024
  note: The last foreign concessions were relinquished by the 1940s; Hong Kong returned to Chinese control in 1997 after 155 years of British rule.
impactStatement: Britain's 1840 invasion of China over the opium trade shattered the Qing dynasty's isolation, forced open Chinese markets, and inaugurated a century of Western imperial domination. The war killed tens of thousands and established a template for coercive diplomacy that would reshape global power for decades.
consequences:
- title: Treaty of Nanking signed
  year: 1842
  description: Britain extracted reparations of 21 million silver dollars, territorial concessions including Hong Kong, and most-favored-nation trading status-the first of the 'unequal treaties' that dismantled Chinese sovereignty.
- title: Second Opium War and Arrow War
  year: 1856
  description: Britain and France launched a second invasion to force deeper market access and legalize the opium trade itself, resulting in the sack of Beijing and further humiliation of the Qing.
- title: Treaty of Tientsin
  year: 1858
  description: Codified foreign access to Chinese ports, inland waterways, and diplomatic representation in Beijing; opened the door to missionary activity and foreign settlement across China.
- title: Taiping Rebellion
  year: 1850
  description: A massive civil war partly triggered by social disintegration from Western incursion and drug trafficking; killed an estimated 30 million people over fourteen years and weakened Qing authority irreversibly.
- title: Boxer Rebellion and foreign occupation
  year: 1900
  description: Anti-foreign uprising crushed by an eight-nation international force, leading to the Boxer Protocol and further carved-up spheres of influence across China by Western and Japanese powers.
archiveSnapshots: []
categories:
- war
metaDescription: Britain's 1840 war on China to force opium trade markets open. The conflict reshaped global commerce.
originSignals:
- "wikipedia:first-opium-war"
aliases:
- Opium War
- Anglo-Chinese War
- First Anglo-Chinese War
wikidataQid: Q191282
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
- transformation
impactRadius: regional
velocity: gradual
predictability: forecastable
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: multi_domain
geo:
lat: 35.000074
lng: 104.999927
place: China
note: Location inferred from recap.country via OSM Nominatim.
significance: 25
heroImageAlt: A fleet of Chinese junks with distinctive battened sails engages in naval combat during the First Opium War, with one vessel exploding in flames as smaller rowboats filled with sailors navigate the waters nearby. Multiple sailing ships exchange fire in a coastal harbor setting, depicting the military conflict between Chinese and British forces in the early 19th century.
translations:
es:
lede: En 1840, Gran Bretaña declaró la guerra a China para obligar al país a aceptar importaciones de opio y abrir sus puertos al comercio exterior. La Marina Británica aplastó las fuerzas chinas, y China fue obligada a ceder Hong Kong y firmar tratados que abrieron sus mercados en términos injustos. Este conflicto lanzó la expansión devastadora del comercio de opio en China y marcó el comienzo de la dominación militar occidental en Asia.
summaryShort: Gran Bretaña declaró la guerra a China en 1840 para forzar la apertura de mercados para el comercio de opio, desencadenando el primero de dos conflictos que remodelaron el comercio global y el poder colonial.
summaryLong: El Tratado de Nanking cedió la Isla de Hong Kong a Gran Bretaña; el control de territorios adicionales (Kowloon y los Nuevos Territorios) llegó a través de tratados posteriores con arrendamientos limitados, y todos fueron devueltos a China en 1997.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T14:37:31.378Z"
fr:
lede: En 1840, la Grande-Bretagne déclara la guerre à la Chine pour forcer le pays à accepter les importations d'opium et ouvrir ses ports au commerce extérieur. La marine britannique écrasa les forces chinoises, et la Chine fut forcée de céder Hong Kong et de signer des traités qui ouvraient ses marchés selon des conditions inéquitables. Ce conflit lança l'expansion dévastatrice du commerce de l'opium en Chine et marqua le début de la domination militaire occidentale en Asie.
summaryShort: La Grande-Bretagne déclara la guerre à la Chine en 1840 pour forcer l'ouverture des marchés au commerce de l'opium, déclenchant le premier de deux conflits qui remodelèrent le commerce mondial et la puissance coloniale.
summaryLong: Le Traité de Nankin céda l'île de Hong Kong à la Grande-Bretagne ; le contrôle de territoires supplémentaires (Kowloon et les Nouveaux Territoires) provint de traités ultérieurs avec des baux limités, et tous furent rendus à la Chine en 1997.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T14:37:33.574Z"
de:
lede: 1840 erklärte Großbritannien China den Krieg, um das Land zur Annahme von Opiumimporten und zur Öffnung seiner Häfen für den Außenhandel zu zwingen. Die britische Marine zerschlug die chinesischen Streitkräfte, und China wurde gezwungen, Hongkong abzutreten und Verträge zu unterzeichnen, die seine Märkte zu ungünstigen Bedingungen öffneten. Dieser Konflikt leitete die verheerend beschleunigte Ausbreitung des Opiumhandels in China ein und markierte den Beginn der westlichen militärischen Dominanz in Asien.
summaryShort: Großbritannien erklärte China 1840 den Krieg, um die Märkte für den Opiumhandel zu öffnen, was den ersten von zwei Konflikten auslöste, die den Welthandel und die Kolonialmacht neu gestalteten.
summaryLong: Der Vertrag von Nanking trat die Insel Hongkong Island an Großbritannien ab; die Kontrolle über zusätzliche Territorien (Kowloon und New Territories) kam durch spätere Verträge mit begrenzten Pachten zustande, und alle wurden 1997 an China zurückgegeben.
generatedAt: "2026-06-03T14:37:36.521Z"
