For nearly twenty years after Victoria's accession no wars occurred in
her reign worthy of mention, with the exception of that with China
(1839). At that time the Chinese Emperor, either from a desire to put
a stop to the consumption of opium in his dominions, or because he
wished to encourage the home production of the drug, prohibited its
importation. As the English in India were largely engaged in the
production of opium for the Chinese market,--the people of that
country smoking it instead of tobacco,--the British government
insisted that the Emperor should not interfere with so lucrative a
trade. War ensued.
The Chinese, being unable to contend against English gunboats, were
soon forced to withdraw their prohibition of the foreign opium
traffic. The English government, with the planters of India, reaped a
golden reward of many millions for their deliberate violation of the
rights of a heathen and half-civilized people. The war opened five
important ports to the British trade, and subsequent wars opened a
number more on the rivers in the interior. This action, with the
later aggressions of other European powers, roused an intensely bitter
feeling among large numbers of the Chinese. Their hatred of
foreigners finally led to a desperate but unsuccessful attempt (1900)
to drive all Europeans and Americans, including missionaries, out of
the country.
Eventually, the pressure of the great powers of Europe and the
diplomatic influence of the United States induced China to grant the
"Open Door" to the demands of foreign trade. Later, England and China
made an agreement (1911) which bids fair to stop the exportation of
opium to that country.
Next, Turkey declared war against Russia (1853). The latter Power had
insisted on protecting all Christians in the Turkish dominions against
the oppression of the Sultan. England and France considered the
Czar's championship of the Christians as a mere pretext for occupying
Turkish territory. To prevent this aggression they formed an alliance
with the Sultan, which resulted in the Russo-Turkish war, and ended in
the taking of Sebastopol by the allied forces. Russia was obliged to
retract her demands, and peace was declared (1856).