Was Manchu defeated by ships, cannons and opium?

To be precise, it was lost to the modern industrial system.

Territorially, China has a land area of130,000 square kilometers, making it the second largest country in the world after Russia. However, at that time, although Britain was not as big as China, it had a vast colony. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India and other countries and regions were once British territories. The British colony covers all continents, and its land area is larger than that of China, even more than that of Russia. The saying that "the empire never falls" has not been in vain. In addition, Britain controls almost all the sea lanes and strategic places in the world, controls maritime hegemony, monopolizes most of the world's maritime trade, and has influence all over the world. Say in English: Odessa in Chicago is our mining area, Canada and the Nordic Peninsula plant trees for us, and Australia shepherd our sheep ... "Even the United States and Russia are the raw materials producing areas of Britain, and the strength of Britain can be seen. Compared with Britain, China has no advantage at all.

In terms of population, the British native population is more than 6,543,800+million, and there are only 20 million to 30 million immigrants. Although the population of Britain is less than a fraction of that of China, its population is of high quality. Primary schools are popular, middle schools are everywhere, and there are many universities. Every year, a large number of scientists, engineers, financial economists and so on are trained. Most people in China are illiterate. Even educated students, after reading the four books and five classics, are full of unrealistic benevolence, righteousness and morality, courtesy and integrity. The British engage in steam engines and ships, play calculus and biology, while China engages in literary inquisition and plays with broadswords and spears, and even bigger boats are not allowed to go to sea. How can a stagnant China lead a vibrant and fast-developing Britain? The gap between talents and technology is the real gap between the two countries.

Economically and industrially, Britain controls most of the world's trade, and its industrial output value accounts for 47% of the world's total industrial output value. It produces and exports commodities, especially high-tech products, such as rifles and cannons. Although China has a large economic aggregate, it produces low value-added agricultural products such as tea, wheat and cotton, and China's huge economy is accumulated by the agricultural population. The gap between China and Britain is just like the gap between Africa and us now.

From a military point of view, Britain has a huge merchant fleet and the world's first navy. The army has been modernized, not only with advanced weapons and equipment, but also with modern training and combat methods. Britain's military strength is not comparable to that of the Qing Dynasty. Britain can send large-scale troops from distant Europe to the Far East, which China didn't have until the 1990s. The navy of the Qing Dynasty was almost as decorated as the British navy, and the army of the Qing Dynasty was not much better. Britain used bayonets to fight the Eight Banners. At that time, there was a generation gap between China and Britain. The British were an era ahead of China, and it was not surprising that the Qing government was decadent and arrogant and could not beat Britain.