China Invaded

Sounds like the Opium Wars?

Just do a search for the Opium Wars....very sad history of China, very shameful history for UK and France.

Yes, that would be the opium wars. It is a good illustration of how isolationism and failure to improve the backward social, political, and economic systems of the country at the time contributed directly to military ineptitude and vulnerability in multiple respects, technology, logistics, command and control. It was a shameful time FOR CHINA and should remain a reminder for posterity of how the country, any country, should not be run and should not be allowed to become.

Contrast Japanese history during the similar period, the Meiji Restoration, during which Japan changed itself from a backwards country (in a similar state as China at the time) into at least a first rate modern regional power that was able to launch WW2 against practically all of its neighbors. It is regretful what the Japanese directed their modernization towards, but how they developed themselves is worthy of admiration and should be a source of inspiration to every developing country.

SO U DIDNT KNOW WHY HONG KONG WAS HANDED BACK TO CHINA IN 1997!?!!?

when we lost that war, we had to give hongkong up. and we just got it back it in 1997.

Originally Posted by Kiwi

Sounds like the Opium Wars?

I think he's referring to the eight allied power invasion in 1900-1901. The old Summer Palace was, however, burned in the second opium war.

The second opium war occured in 1858-1860 and only involved 4 powers, UK, US, France, and Russia. Though it was mostly an Anglo-French venture, and they all hauled away loot, with the Russians gaining the most later through Treaty of Aigun, in which Qing ceded outer Manchuria to Imperial Russia.

The British forces, lead by General Lord Elgin (James Bruce), sent 3,500 men to burn down the old Summer Palace of Beijing over French objections to conceal the looting. One only need to visit the British Museum to see where the goodies went.

The Elgins are well known for lotting priceless artifacts. The Elgin who looted and burned the old Summer Palace is James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin. His predecessor, Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin, was the British resident general in Athens, which was under the Ottoman Empire at the time. That guy was responsible for looting countless Athenian stone artifacts from the Parthenon, Pediment statues, Acropolis, Erechtheum, Temple of Athena Nike, etc. They're now stored in the British Museum and known as the "Elgin Marbles".

Originally Posted by WEN?

hey guys,
just asking but it is to my knowledge,not too long ago (something like 200 years) china was invaded by i think 8 countries and was beaten up bad. as we where still using the good old sword, bow and arrow the invaders were using guns. some countries that participated in the invasion were britain and i think also russia. after defeating china they burnt some very large and famous palace or something important like that to the ground and also stole most of china's very precious stuf. e.g. all the really good jewelry and the royal stuff that was important mainly britain). so if u guys know anything about this war could you please fill me in.
regards WEN?

The eight allied power invasion of China involved UK, Germany, US, France, Russia, Japan, Italy, and Austria in 1900-1901. It was mostly the result of Boxer Rebellion spinning out of control. At first, the allied powers lead by British Vice Admiral Seymour didn't take Qing military seriously and attempted to invade Beijing with only 2,000 men, they were beaten back after 20 days of fighting during June - July, 1900 by the Wuyi Army, lead by General Nieh Shih-Ch'eng. General Nieh was killed a month later, which lead to the decline and breakup of the Wuyi army. Then in August 1900 they made a more cautious advance with 20,000 men and successfully invaded Beijing.

What followed was yet another orgy of rape and pillage, except this time the worse offenders were the Germans, who killed a lot of people. The British and the French simply went on their looting spree. Under pretext of searching for boxers, they even forced their way into the Yonghe Lamasery and carted off with anything made of gold or silver. The Japanese broke into the Ministery of revenue, looted 3 million teals of silver, then burned it to the ground.

The Qing government was forced to sign the 1901 "Boxrer Protocol" to end the war. They had to execute 10 officials, pay $333 million, destroy the Taku forts, grant more concessions, etc. The Americans were nice enough to give some of the $ back as scholarships and help build Tsinghua University. The Russians occupied parts of Manchuria, which eventually lead to the Russo-Japanese war a few years after.

As for sword, bows, and arrows, you might be thinking about the boxers, or the Qing army during Taiping Rebellion of 1851-1866. Yes a lot of boxers were armed with swords and spears instead of firearms. By 1900 the Qing Imperial troops were mostly armed with firearms, but of mixed quality comparred to the better-equipped western forces. Plus, the Qing troops did not receive good training.

Back during the Taiping rebellion era (1850's), the Manchu Banner Armies were still armed with swords, spears, and bows, relying heavily on calvary for offensive power. Only elite infantry units were armed with matchlock firearms.

Its the opium war alright.

Check here for more details : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_war

no, that's the 8 countries invaded china in 1900. first opium war was in 1840, second opium war was in 1860. 8 countries invasion was in 1900, and it started because the chinese rebel, or called...boxers rebelion something...., they raised a rebelion against the "foreign devils", mainly everyman who is not chinese were beaten and killed. they attacked the embassies too, that's why the 8 countries raised the war on us. they were....US, UK, france, italy, japan, russia, germany and...forgot the last one. so they landed in tianjin area and taken beijing later. the royal family and government fleated (bad spelling) to another city, so we assigned another treaty to give them money and stuff, so they left. in the past 100 years, china lost a lot of things, it's good chairman mao just show all the foreigners middle fingers, and kick them out of china.
1949, when shanghai was first liberated. some US soldiers were driving madly in the city and hurted some people , just like they do in japan today. and current mayor of shanghai, later chinese army marshal, Chen yi, taken them down and they were court mashaled as well, he said:"this is people's new shanghai, not the old shanghai, the empirialists' days are never coming back."

unfortunatly, today's chinese again treat the white people like they are superior and sXXt.

btw, japanese army in the 8 countries were the best with their army orders, they didn't rape or rob the civilians almost at all, comparing to the other "civilized christians".

Yes indeed its the opium wars. known as the united 8 country army in Chinese. these lunatics, burned houses, pretty much every thing the japanese did in WWII without the tourture. they stole valuable art and antiques. most of the antique and art from China you see today in US art meuseams, etc. were all stolen in China during opium war. they also burned down a valuable garden in Beiing which is let a wreck today as a mamorial. it was first opium was sold to Chinese which made them weak then the attack begens, and as mentioned before, hong kong (xian gan) was given to britain and other cities as well.

oh and red gaurd, what do you meen by "today's chinese again treat the white people like they are superior and sXXt"?

Very informative thread. Little wonder many western nations are paranoid abt China's potential rise. Worried abt China looking for payback in the future maybe. Anyway, I guess they also have to worry abt every other non-European nations as well since the colonial empires extended to every corners of the world & worse atrocities were commited in the past.
With the latest evidence, albeit still controversial, of Zheng He's discovery of America, it shows the contrast of Chinese expeditions to the European ones.
http://www.economist.com/books/displ...ory_id=5381851

It's also interesting to see the level of corruption & ineptness of the Ching dynasty given that an army of abt only 20000 could bring them to their knees regardless of the degree of backwardness of their military tech. It showed a complete collapse of the morale of the dynasty & its determination to defend the country. This may not be too surprising given the Manchus were a different race. They may have been more keen on saving their own royal family than the Chinese nation.

i couldn't agree with you, schumacher. from my point of view, the foreigners always misunderstand chinese culture and chinese dynasties. foreigners intend to think that the manchurians are most likly, a....different nation from china, so when they rule china, they are like other races to rule chinese. but chinese don't really think so. the failure of mongolians was because they did not adopt chinese culture, that's why they ended up in 86 years. but after several decades in the midland, manchurian were basicly changed to midland chinese. at the end of the dynasty, manchurians are chinese, chinese are manchurians. besides, manchuria was part of china before that as well. it's a bit complicate for foreigners to understand this kind of chinese rule....

to renmin:
in 1949, chairman mao led us to glory and taught us not to fear white people, they are nothing superior than us. but after he died, the rest cowards officals tell us that the white people is everythign, they are so good, so advanced, too advanced for us, so we have to beg for their knowledge and "advanced culture", so our chinese could be civilized. just bunch of traitors and fake communists. that's why today, when i go back to china, they see my face and do not give me a smiling face, after i show my passport, they all of sudden change face and smiling at me and this and that, just all because i do not hold a chinese passport. chinese do not get a better right in china, that is what i am talking about.

originally posted by red gaurd
to renmin:
in 1949, chairman mao led us to glory and taught us not to fear white people, they are nothing superior than us. but after he died, the rest cowards officals tell us that the white people is everythign, they are so good, so advanced, too advanced for us, so we have to beg for their knowledge and "advanced culture", so our chinese could be civilized. just bunch of traitors and fake communists. that's why today, when i go back to china, they see my face and do not give me a smiling face, after i show my passport, they all of sudden change face and smiling at me and this and that, just all because i do not hold a chinese passport. chinese do not get a better right in china, that is what i am talking about.[/QUOTE]

i see. Yes part of Mao's speach during founding o the PRC, he said PRC's people have stood up meaning they are now strong and ready for anything. well for right now, I doubt the Chinese still really fear the white. well back on topic, like I said the opeim war was to weaken the Chinese with drugs make them lazy and tired every day, then come in and take them out. you can see that china was often picked on in the past.

woll vincelee. whatch the language. what are you talking about? present or past? calm down.

the other countries joined in because China started to refuse to continue purchasing opium from britain.

opium war started because of chinese policies of con british. but the other countries joined in mostly because of their embassies were burned down and civilians got killed. but, mostly, those are excuses, they all wanted to grab a plate and feast on china. after 1949, the only land wasn't given back were from the russians.....(not counting macao and hongkang, that is)

was that land not given back by any chance the modern day Mongolia? i was told that russia took it from us and maybe it was during the opium war. i also think what adeptitus and red gaurd were talking about is what i was asking about. why did china burn down the other countries embassyes?