Conflicts & Resolutions · War

First Opium War

1839–1842 · 19th century

The First Opium War was fought in 1839–1842 between Britain and the Qing Empire, after Chinese efforts to suppress the opium trade. British naval superiority forced China to accept the Treaty of Nanjing, which ceded Hong Kong, opened ports to trade and began the era of unequal treaties.

First Opium War
Image: Edward Duncan · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 profiles

Qing EmpireMilitaryUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and IrelandMilitary

Battles and settlements

Mentioned in 1 state history

Hong Kong (British)

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). First Opium War. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/first-opium-war
MLA
“First Opium War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/first-opium-war. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “First Opium War.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/first-opium-war.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘First Opium War’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/first-opium-war (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻