James Polachek, "The Inner Opium War (Harvard East Asian Monographs)," (Harvard University Asia Center, 1991)

Why did defeat in the Opium War not lead Ch'ing China to a more realistic appreciation of Western might and Chinese weakness? James Polachek's revisionist analysis exposes the behind-the-scenes political struggles that not only shaped foreign-policy decisions in the 1830s and 1840s but have continued to affect the history of Chinese nationalism in modern times. Polachek looks closely at the networks of literati and officials, self-consciously reminiscent of the late Ming era that sought and gained the ear of the emperor. Challenging the conventional view that Lin Tse-hsu and his supporters were selfless patriots who acted in China's best interests, Polachek agrues that, for reasons having more to do with their own domestic political agenda, these men advocated a futile policy of militant resistance to the West. Linking political intrigue, scholarly debates, and foreign affairs, local notables in Canton and literati lobbyists in Perking this book sets the Opium War for the first times in its "inner," domestic political context. James Polachek on Opium War and Chinese Foreign Policy Revisionist Analysis of Ch'ing China's Response to the West Behind-the-Scenes Politics in 1830s-1840s China Chinese Literati Networks and Qing Foreign Policy Lin Tse-hsu's Role in the Opium War Reinterpreted Domestic Political Agenda During the Opium War Chinese Nationalism and Political Intrigue Canton Notables and Peking Literati Lobbyists Ch'ing China's Misunderstanding of Western Might Political Struggles Shaping Qing Foreign Relations Opium War in China's Domestic Political Context Late Ming Influence on Qing Literati and Officials Patriotism vs. Political Motives in Qing Resistance Scholarly Debates on China's Strategy Against the West Impact of Opium War on Modern Chinese Nationalism