WHY DID BRITAIN GET CHINA ADDICTED TO OPIUM? | EMPIRES OF SILVER | ABSOLUTE HISTORY

Cinemavixion Review

This documentary delves into a pivotal and complex period of global trade, exploring how Britain, driven by an unfavorable trade balance, introduced opium to China. The narrative highlights the immense value of silver in the 18th and 19th centuries, positioning it as the preferred currency for China's highly coveted goods. The film effectively illustrates the British dilemma and their strategic, albeit destructive, solution: cultivating and exporting opium. It's a compelling look at the economic forces and ethical compromises that shaped international relations, revealing the origins of a historical imbalance with profound and lasting consequences. The exploration of how a nation can become dependent on a substance for economic gain, at the expense of its populace, is particularly thought-provoking.