what was the opium wars
For other uses, see Opium Wars (disambiguation). The Opium Wars were two wars in the mid-19th century involving Anglo-Chinese disputes over British trade in China and China's sovereignty. The disputes included the First Opium War (1839â1842) and the Second Opium War (1856â1860). The wars and events between them weakened the Qing dynasty and reduced China's separation from the rest of the world.