logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2010
33m 52s

Ep. 6 | The Opium War

Laszlo Montgomery
About this episode
In this week's episode, we give an overview of the First Opium War, one of the most humiliating events in Modern Chinese history. From this event that culminated in the first of many unequal treaties in 1842, China began a steady downhill slide and suffered a multitude of setbacks and insults from foreign powers eager to trade with China and build market share.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Nov 9
A Useful Chengyu - Hébù Shí Ròumí 何不食肉糜
This morning, in between recording sessions, I checked out what was headlining on Drudge. And right there was the leading story, "Let Them Eat Steak." You can imagine what the piece was about. This made me think, what a perfect time to post this Chinese Saying podcast episode. I ... Show More
12m 40s
Nov 5
WWII Pacific Atrocities | Quin Cho and the Kwantung Army
In early 2025, I was approached by Jenny Chan at pacificatrocities.org about interviewing one of their experts in an upcoming CHP episode. I had a nice interview with Quin Cho, born in my hometown of Chicago. Those who lament that the young generation of today doesn't bother to l ... Show More
41m 18s
Oct 23
Ep. 369 | Chenxiang, Pound for Pound, Costs More than Gold
Here's something a little different from the usual CHP fare. It concerns a natural substance that's not too well-known outside of Asia, mainly because it's so dang expensive! Chénxiāng 沉香 or Agarwood as it's also known, grows inside the heartwood of certain Aquilaria trees. Chenx ... Show More
40m 41s
Recommended Episodes
May 2025
255. Victorian Narcos: From Opium To Fentanyl (Ep 9)
What led to the Second Opium War? Why wasn’t China colonised by Europeans? When did China start referring to this period as the “century of humiliation” and how did this narrative shape nationalism in the 20th century? Anita and William are joined by Stephen R. Platt, author of I ... Show More
48m 19s
Apr 2025
249. Victorian Narcos: Doomed Envoy to China (Ep 3)
Who led the first British envoy to China? What did Europeans think of China in the 1700s? Why did the diplomats bring a huge planetarium as a gift for the Chinese emperor? William and Anita continue the story of the build up to the Opium Wars with the story of the doomed British ... Show More
37 m
Jun 2025
[BEST OF] The History of Modern China
From the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions, to the Chinese Revolution and Civil War, through the Long March and the rise of Mao Zedong, to the Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, all the way to Deng's Reform and China today, Professor of East Asian and Global History Dr. Ken H ... Show More
7 h
Apr 2025
248. Victorian Narcos: Sex, Drugs, & The Opium Agency (Ep 2)
How did Britain create a violent monopoly on opium production in India in the 1700s? What was the Opium Agency? Why did Chinese elites use opium during sex? Anita and William discuss how the East India Company competed with other traders to sell Indian opium to China despite it b ... Show More
44m 10s
May 2025
The Taiping Rebellion: everything you wanted to know
It's considered to be the bloodiest civil war in history, but there's a fair chance you've never heard of it. The Taiping Rebellion convulsed China from 1850 to 1864, leading to over 20 million deaths and severely weakening the Qing dynasty, but it remains little known outside of ... Show More
56m 4s
Jan 2024
Boxer Rebellion and the End of China
In the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, a Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists led an uprising in northern China against the spread of Western and Japanese influence there. The rebels, referred to by Westerners as Boxers because they perfor ... Show More
55m 26s
Jun 2025
Frenemies: China & the USA, a History
<p><br></p><p>The People's Republic of China has only existed since 1949, but in just 75 years its relationship with the United States is in a strong position to be the most tumultuous of all.</p><br><p>Don is joined by Rana Mitter for this episode of Frenemies. Rana is S. T. Lee ... Show More
49m 44s
Jun 2025
The First Emperor of China
In the third century BC, China was a land fractured by war - a patchwork of rival kingdoms struggling for dominance. Out of this chaos rose a single, extraordinary figure who would reshape the course of history: Chin Shrr Hwong, the First Emperor of China. His achievements were m ... Show More
58m 24s
Nov 13
The Creeping Coup
On the surface, the story of Sudan’s war is about two generals vying for power. But it’s also about a vast web of international interests involving the U.S., China, Russia, and the UAE. Today on the show, the story of how things in Sudan got to this point, and the effects of the ... Show More
50m 39s
Sep 6
The Mughal empire: everything you wanted to know
The Mughal empire was one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in South Asian history, blending together a mix of cultural traditions to create a legacy of dazzling architecture, innovative governance, and turbulent politics. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Nandin ... Show More
49m 50s