The Second Opium War, or arrow war broke out following an incident in October 1856 during which Chinese officials boarded a vessel by the name of Arrow. The crew was put under arrest for smuggling and piracy. The Chinese were then accused of tearing down and vio;ating the british flag during inspection. The war started when British forces attacked Guangzhou in 1856.
The french than joined the british after one of their missionarys were killed by a local Mandarin in China. Hostilities broke out once more in 1859 after China refused to establish a British embassy in Beijing as had been promised by the Treaty of Tianjin. Fighting erupted both in Hong Kong as well as Beijing, where the British set out to destroy the summer palace and the old summer palace. Hostilities broke out once more in 1859 after China refused to establish a British embassy in Beijing as had been promised by the Treaty of Tianjin in 1860 ending the war.