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Opium Wars
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second Opium War battle
What were the Opium Wars?
First Opium War Treaty of Nanjing first Opium War second Opium War Chinese opium den Lin Zexu Treaty of Nanjing second Opium War
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first Opium War
Opium Wars Timeline
Chinese opium den
Key Facts of the Opium Wars
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Causes and Effects of the Opium Wars
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Louis IX of France (St. Louis), stained glass window of Louis IX during the Crusades. (Unknown location.)
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D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.
A History of War
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second Opium War battle
second Opium War battle Battle scene of a British assault during the Second Opium War (or Arrow War; 1856–60); undated illustration.

Opium Wars

Chinese history
Written by
Kenneth Pletcher
Ken Pletcher was Senior Editor, Geography and History for Encyclopædia Britannica. He holds an M.A. in Japanese studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As part of his master's program,...
Kenneth Pletcher
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

Opium Wars, two armed conflicts in China in the mid-19th century between the forces of Western countries and of the Qing dynasty, which ruled China from 1644 to 1911/12. The first Opium War (1839–42) was fought between China and Britain, and the second Opium War (1856–60), also known as the Arrow War or the Anglo-French War in China, was fought by Britain and France against China. In each case the foreign powers were victorious and...

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