The First Opium War was fought between China and England during the Qing Dynasty. It seems that this war was due to British imperialism and their need to be a trading mogul. Essentially, Opium was illegal in China but it was one of the few things England could trade with to China. China had many items of value such as, tea, silk, and porcelain. England eventually traded so much Opium to China it reversed the initial imbalance and created many Opium addicts. England was seling their Opium to smugglers in China, the East India Company (mentioned in another post) even started growing Opium closer to China in order to smuggle the Opium in from illegal ports. Eventually China implemented a death penalty for offenders of the ban since it was having such a negative impact on their economy and their people. The British demanded free trade and the Chinese would not budge. This is why the First Opium War Began. China struck first but the English retaliated with great force. The British defeated China due to their superior ships and technology. The British forced an unequal treaty on China that eventually led to the Second Opium war.