Reddit reviews The Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another

I recommend https://www.amazon.com/Opium-Wars-Addiction-Corruption-Another/dp/1402201494

Wrote a paper about the subject in college, it's beyond deplorable, and absolutely unforgivable, what the British did. But that's pretty much the story of the British Empire!

TL;DR - the British empire pumped drugs into China and essentially forced addiction on their people because IIRC, they wouldn't trade with them

As a big history book buff, I've read a pretty good one on this topic.

https://www.amazon.com/Opium-Wars-Addiction-Corruption-Another/dp/1402201494

If anyone else wants to check it out. It's a very illuminating read.

At its heart it was an economic power play. Opium was already introduced to China and was having devastating effects. So government officials worked at trying to ban it. But Opium at this point had become a huge part of the British tea trade with China. It was the most desired good that the British could trade for tea and the Chinese were uninterested in most other British export trade goods. So without opium the British all of a sudden don't have anything to trade for tea on favorable terms. So the British go to war to keep ports open to the opium trade after the Chinese try to outlaw it.

I remember reading The Opium Wars in college.

British atrocities made me think of it, but ultimately, I just want to plug the book because I actually enjoyed reading it for my History class.

Also relevant I believe, Naval technology reigned supreme and the British, as we all know, held the world's most powerful Navy. Any fortified or held position along any coastline or larger river would be devastated by cannonade providing the pre-siege and subsequent assault by the attacking force. Resulting in massive casualties taken by a standing archer corps which would lead to grave demoralization or even abandonment. Even if you held a corps of archers on the front inland, ranges of the musket and cannons/mortars would easily outweigh the battle potential of archers. Commanders and their men fared much better by embracing the changing tactics in my own opinion.

I believe this is supported by the evidence provided by the British in their endeavors in China during the Opium Wars naught sixty years later. Antiquated Chinese forces, tenacious as they may have been, were crushed by the overwhelming technological superiority and tactics demonstrated by the British themselves. (The Chinese implemented many archers, outdated muskets and fixed cannons for the time in their albeit great coastal defenses.) Casualty ratios would be hundreds, perhaps more, to one in favor of the British.
Sorry if this may be derailing for some. Just thought some extra context would help paint the picture. Source I am currently reading The Opium Wars

Edit: bad original link, sorry. The Opium Wars. Great book if anyone is interested.