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The First Opium War
In 1839, China took serious measures to end the opium crisis that was happening in their country. Britain had used opium as the main trading resource to get more tea, but China was now finally done with it. Battles mostly happened at sea, but while China sent as many ships as they could at Britain, they never stood a chance against superior warships of the British. -
Treaty of Nanjing
This treaty was the first of many “unequal treaties” that opened China to the west. It gave Britain rights that they otherwise wouldn’t have had. This was all as a result of China losing the opium war. -
Potato Famine Begins in Ireland
Mysterious famine on Ireland’s main food source and crop, potatoes, begins. It ends up killing 1 million, and causing many more Irish to leave the country. -
Matthew Perry- Gunboat Diplomacy
Matthew Perry brought his gunships into the port of Japan, showing off, but also showing that if Japan didn’t cooperate, bad things could happen. -
Sepoy Mutiny
The British East India Company, who had rules India for almost 100 years, used Sepoy, or Indian soldiers, in their army. This was fine, until the EIC issued the Sepoy rifles with animal fat on the cartridge that they would have to bite off. This became a problem, as Indians cannot eat cow. They rebelled, and Britain had to step in, ending the rule of a company over the country. -
Meiji Revolt
Samurai overthrow the Shogun, and restore the Emperor back to power, introducing a new age of power, called the Meiji (or Enlightened) Rule -
Berlin Conference
European leaders met in Berlin to regulate European colonization in Africa. Interestingly enough, African leaders were not included in these meetings -
Indian National Congress Formed
In 1885, the Indian National Congress was formed. It was the first time that Indians had begun to speak out against the “Raj” (British rule over India). It started out modestly, but would soon turn their eyes upon full freedom. -
Boer War
Boers, Dutch farmers living in South Africa didn’t want to leave their home after gold was discovered in SA. However, Britain wants in. The two sides fight, but eventually Britain wins, and takes over South Africa. -
Britain Grants Self-Rule to Australia
In 1901, Britain granted self-rule to Australia, creating a dominion, while still retaining Australia as a commonwealth of Britain. -
Assassination of Franz Ferdinand
After years of tensions boiling in the Balkans, the assassination officially kicked off WWI. Killed by Gavrillo Princip, a Serb, Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were mortally wounded by a group of Serbian terrorists hoping to bring down the Austria-Hungary Empire. -
Tsar Nicholas Mobilizes Russian Army
As the First World War was beginning, Tsar Nicholas tried everything to avoid getting involved. However, it got to the point where it was unavoidable, and he mobilized the army, leading to Germany declaring war on Russia. -
Germany invades Belgium
Germany invaded neutral Belgium, causing Britain to officially enter the War. -
The February Revolution
The first of two revolutions ousted the tsar and his family, and ended an aristocracy rule in Russia for the first time in hundreds of years. -
The October Revolution
The second of the Russian revolutions installed communism as the main regime in Russia, which would lead to the rise of Lenin and Stalin. -
US Declares War on Germany
After the sinking of the Lusitania, the Zimmerman letter, and German U-boats running rampant, the US finally decided to join the war. It was a much needed boost of fresh personnel on the Allied side, and the war quickly turned from there. -
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
The new government in Russia desperately needed to do something about all the Russian deaths happening in the war, and decided to pull out of the war. -
Tsar Nicholas and Family Executed
Tsar Nicholas and his family were in captivity, but on a summers night, they were taken to an isolated room and murdered, execution style. -
Armistice Signed
Armistice signed that effectively ended the war by stopping battle on all fronts between Germany and the Allies.
