The British victory led to the Treaty of Nanjing (Nanking), which allowed for British merchants to trade in five Chinese cities. When the Chinese government attempted to ban the opium trade and curb its growing population of addicts, Great Britain fought the First Opium War (1839–42). To Western nations competing for great-power status, China with its population of 450 million offered opportunities for “economic supremacy.” In 1839, Great Britain capitalized on this vast market of consumers by shipping opium to China. Relief of the Foreign Concessions, Capture of the East Arsenal, 21–27 JuneĪssault on the Walled City Delayed, Capture of the West Arsenal, 2–9 July Its foes were Qing imperial troops and the “Boxers,” a Chinese secret society that channeled resentment of foreign influence, especially Christian missionaries, into widespread violence against Westerners and Chinese Christians. The eight-nation relief force of troops from the United States, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia first had to fight its way from the port at Dagu (Taku) through the city of Tianjin (Tientsin) and villages in the Chinese countryside, hampered by blistering heat, destroyed railroads, and internal rivalries. The legations had been under siege since 20 June, and the legation guard would be forced to hold out for 55 days until an international relief force arrived at Beijing on 14 August. The Tartar Wall surrounded the city of Beijing (then Peking ), home to legations of eight foreign powers, including the United States. Marine Private Dan Daly single-handedly defended his position on the Tartar Wall from as many as 200 Chinese attackers, a feat that would earn him his first Medal of Honor.
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