History glossary
The Second Opium War
the 1856-1860 conflict in which Britain and France forced Qing China into deeper treaty concessions.
- Category
- War
- Region
- China
- Date range
- 1856-1860
What it means
The Second Opium War was fought from 1856 to 1860, when Britain and France demanded wider diplomatic, legal and commercial access to China. The conflict unfolded as the Qing faced major internal rebellions and ended with the fall of Beijing, the destruction of the Old Summer Palace and the Convention of Peking.
