Second Opium War
- Period
- October 1856 – October 1860
- Sides
- Britain & France vs Qing China
- Battles
- 13
The Second Opium War, also known as the Second Anglo-Chinese War or Arrow War, was fought between the United Kingdom and France against the Qing dynasty of China between 1856 and 1860. It was the second major conflict in the Opium Wars, which were fought over the right to import opium to China, and resulted in a second defeat for the Qing and the forced legalisation of the opium trade. It caused many Chinese officials to believe that conflicts with the Western powers were no longer traditional wars, but part of a looming national crisis.
Sources: Wikipedia — Second Opium War · CC BY-SA 4.0
Battles 13
October 1856 – November 1856
Battle of Canton (1856)
The Battle of Canton was fought between British and Chinese forces at the city of Canton (Guangzhou), Guangdong province, China on 23 October to 5 November 1856 during the Second Opium War.
November 1856
Battle of the Barrier Forts
The Battle of the Barrier Forts was fought between American and Chinese forces in the Pearl River, Guangdong, China in November 1856 during the Second Opium War. The United States Navy launched an amphibious assault against a series of four forts known as the Barrier Forts near the city of Canton. It was considered an important battle by the British whose interest lay in capturing Canton.
November 1856
Battle of the Bogue (1856)
The Battle of the Bogue was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Humen strait (Bogue), Guangdong province, China, on 12–13 November 1856 during the Second Opium War. The British captured the forts in the Wangtong Islands on 12 November and the forts in Anunghoy Island the next day.
November 1856
Capture of the French Folly Fort
The Capture of the French Folly Fort by British forces in China occurred on 6 November 1856 during the Second Opium War. The British dispersed 23 Chinese war junks and captured the French Folly fort in the Pearl River near the city of Canton (Guangzhou) in Guangdong province. The battle lasted nearly an hour. The British consul Harry Parkes described the Chinese as putting up "a very hot resistance" and the engagement as "exceeding creditable to the bravery not only of our men, but of the Chinese also."
January 1857
Battle of Macao Fort
The Battle of Macao Fort was fought between British and Chinese forces in the Pearl River, Guangdong, China on 4 January 1857 during the Second Opium War. Macao Fort was located on an islet about 3 miles south of Canton (Guangzhou).
May 1857
Battle of Escape Creek
The Battle of Escape Creek was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and the Qing Chinese naval force on 25–27 May 1857 during the Second Opium War. Commodore Charles Elliot's squadron chased the war-junks at Escape Creek and then, once the British ships were grounded as the river narrowed, they chased them in the ships' boats until all the junks had been overhauled.
June 1857
Battle of Fatshan Creek
The Battle of Fatshan Creek (佛山水道之戰) was a naval engagement fought between the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and the Cantonese fleet of Qing China on 1 June 1857. Rear-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour sought out and destroyed the Chinese fleet before advancing to the city of Canton for its capture.
December 1857
Battle of Canton (1857)
The Battle of Canton was fought by British and French forces against Qing China on 28–31 December 1857 during the Second Opium War. The British High Commissioner, Lord Elgin, was keen to take the city of Canton (Guangzhou) as a demonstration of power and to capture Chinese official Ye Mingchen, who had resisted British attempts to implement the 1842 Treaty of Nanking. Elgin ordered an Anglo-French force to take the town and an assault began on 28 December. Allied forces took control of the city walls on 29 December but delayed entry into the city itself until 5 January. They subsequently captured Ye and some reports state they burnt down much of the town. The ease with which the allies won the battle was one of the reasons for the signing of the Treaty of Tientsin in 1858.
May 1858
Battle of Taku Forts (1858)
The First Battle of Taku Forts was the first attack of the Anglo-French alliance against the Taku Forts along the Hai River in Tianjin, China, on 20 May 1858, during the Second Opium War.
June 1859
Battle of Taku Forts (1859)
The Second Battle of Taku Forts was a failed Anglo-French attempt to seize the Taku Forts along the Hai River in Tianjin, China, in June 1859 during the Second Opium War. A chartered American steamship arrived on scene and assisted the French and British in their attempted suppression of the forts.
August 1860
Battle of Taku Forts (1860)
The Third Battle of Taku Forts was an engagement of the Second Opium War, part of the British and French 1860 expedition to China. It took place at the Taku Forts near Tanggu District, approximately 60 kilometers (36 mi.) southeast of the city of Tianjin (Tientsin).
September 1860
Battle of Palikao
The Battle of Palikao was fought at the bridge of Baliqiao by Anglo-French forces against the Qing dynasty of China during the Second Opium War on the morning of 21 September 1860. It allowed Western forces to take the capital Beijing and eventually defeat the Qing Empire.
September 1860
Battle of Zhangjiawan
Battle of Zhangjiawan or Battle of Chang-kia-wan was fought by British and French forces against China at the town of Zhangjiawan during the Second Opium War on the morning of 18 September 1860.
Earlier and later events nearby
- 1279Battle of Yamen
- 1757Qing restricts Western trade to Canton
- October 1856 – October 1860Second Opium WarThis page
- 1934–1935Long March
- 1997Handover of Hong Kong
Who ruled this land
States that held this place in the historical borders data (Cliopatria). Years are approximate, as fine as the data's snapshots (every few years to a century). Tap to open the map for that year.
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- 300–250 BCMinyue
- 200–150 BCNanyue
- 100 BC – AD 1Han dynasty
- AD 25Xin dynasty
- AD 50–225Han dynasty
- AD 250–275Eastern Wu
- AD 300–425Jin dynasty
- AD 450–475Liu Song dynasty
- AD 500Southern Qi
- AD 525–550Liang dynasty
- AD 575Chen dynasty
- AD 600–625Sui dynasty
- AD 650–900Tang dynasty
- AD 925–975Southern Han
- 1000–1260Song dynasty
- 1280Mongol Empire
- 1300–1360Yuan dynasty
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- Inventions mapElevator