19th century China: Brief Summary

The Chinese had a strong government with the Ming Dynasty and had achieved great feats in both technology and philosophy. However, after the Opium War, and after the Chinese paid off their debts, they were left with nothing. The Taiping Rebellion would send China into complete chaos for the next 10 years and when the “government” that existed at the time finally managed to put down these rebellions, the emperor tried to bring China back into power. Even with a failing economy and no sense of national pride, he formed a new national army. However, these armies were easily put down and their weak attempt to China’s path to greatness again failed/ China had been thrown for a loop with the opium war and it was not until 1900s when they turned to a republic government, they were able to bring themselves back onto the map. The 1800s were a mess for the Chinese and it can almost entirely be blamed for because of the westerners coming into China and trading to open up trade. Their reluctance caused a war that sent them into a downward spiral that they are just recovering from now.