All Episodes

January 11, 2024 60 mins

On this week's episode of History Reconsidered, Sumantra Maitra and Jarrett Stepman discuss the Opium Wars. In this case, not just the 19th century struggle between Great Britain and China, but the modern conflict between China and the West.


The Opium Wars are often pointed out as examples of Western colonial rapaciousness. The Chinese Communist Party frequently points to the conflicts in propaganda to justify its actions against the West, especially the United States. Many now contend that the flow of illicit fentanyl from China to the U.S. is "payback."


However, as Maitra and Stepman explain, the wars were much more complicated than the simple, modern narrative of oppressor country versus oppressed. It was a conflict sparked by vast cultural and legal differences between Eastern and Western regimes as well as a fair amount of weakness and folly from the Chinese government under the Qing dynasty.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist

It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.