Causes:

1. After the completion of the Industrial Revolution, Britain needed a vast market as a place for exporting goods, and China just met this condition, and it could become a dumping ground for British goods.

2. In order to change this unfavorable trade situation, the British bourgeoisie adopted the method of smuggling large quantities of opium into China for profit after failing to achieve the goal of making strong diplomatic representations.

3. Lin Zexu eliminated smoking at Humen, while the British viewed the Chinese anti-smoking action as an infringement of private property and found it intolerable, contributing to the outbreak of war.

Two, through:

1, in June 1840, the British commander of the expeditionary force blockade of Guangzhou, Xiamen (now part of Fujian) and other places in the sea ports, cut off China's overseas trade, and in July, the capture of Dinghai, Zhejiang (now Zhoushan City), as a forward stronghold. august, the British ship arrived in tianjin, outside of Dagukou, on August 20, 1840 the British ship arrived off Dagu Kou in Tianjin, and on August 20, 1840, negotiated in Guangzhou.

2, January 7, 1841, the British suddenly captured the Humen's Dajiao, Shajiao Fortress, the Qing garrison killed and wounded more than 700 people, handsome ships, tugboats sunk 11. Qishen was forced to give in, January 25 and Yilu signed the "through the nose grass treaty", the first paragraph of the treaty is the Hong Kong Island ceded to Britain.

3, December 1840, Qishan and Yilu began negotiations in Guangdong. 1841 January 7, both sides are also dissatisfied with the progress of the negotiations, Yilu made the first move, launched the Battle of Humen.

4, May 24, the British army launched an attack on Guangzhou, Guangzhou near the important places all lost, more than 18,000 Qing troops retreated to the city, Yishan and other white flag to seek peace, accept the British conditions, signed the "Guangzhou contract".

5. On August 29, 1842, Jieying and Pu Dingcha signed the unequal Sino-British Treaty of Nanjing.

Third, the impact:

1, the Qing government began to step by step to become a tool of the great powers to rule China, with China's territory, territorial waters, justice, tariffs and trade sovereignty began to be seriously undermined, China was gradually reduced from an independent and autonomous country to a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country.?

2. The natural economy of self-sufficiency, which had been dominant, was strongly impacted, and China increasingly became part of the world capitalist market.

3. Some intellectuals began to abandon their stereotypes, look at the world, explore new knowledge, and seek ways to strengthen the country and protect it from insults, and a new trend of learning from the West emerged, which had a certain impact on feudalism.

Extended information:

The content of the Treaty of Nanjing, which was signed at the end of the First Opium War

1, Cession of Hong Kong Island;

2, Compensation to Britain for the price of opium, commercial debts and military expenses*** 21 million silver dollars;

3, Five ports of commerce, opening Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen, Ningbo and Shanghai as five ports of commerce, allowing the British to reside there and to set up a consulate;

4, Agreement on tariffs, the British merchants should be paid import and export taxes, rates and fees, the Chinese Customs has no right to autonomy;

4, Agreement on tariffs, the British merchants should be paid import and export taxes, rates and fees. China Customs has no right to autonomy;

5. Abolish the system of public transportation, and authorize British merchants to trade freely in China. In addition, it also provides for the equal exchange of officials between the two sides, the release of each other's soldiers and civilians, as well as the withdrawal of British troops and other matters.

Baidu Encyclopedia - First Opium War

Baidu Encyclopedia - Treaty of Nanjing