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The Opium Wars: How Britain Forced Trade on China
This episode examines the First and Second Opium Wars, focusing on how the British Empire used military force to break China’s Canton System and impose the Treaty of Nanjing. We follow the career of Sir Robert Peel and the diplomatic maneuvers of Lord Elgin, revealing how the trade imbalance in tea, silk, and porcelain led to a brutal conflict over opium. The narrative explores the internal Chinese resistance led by figures like Lin Zexu, the devastating impact on Qing society, and the long-term consequences of unequal treaties that reshaped global commerce. Listeners will discover the…
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