Battle of Taku Forts (1858) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids First Battle of Taku Forts
Part of the Second Opium War
Map of the Peiho River forts, showing British and French ships
Date 20 May 1858 Location Taku Forts, Tianjin, China Result Anglo-French victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  France	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Michael Seymour Charles Rigault de Genouilly	Tan Ting-siang
Strength
British: 1,032 French: 700 (land force)	unknown
Casualties and losses
British: 5 killed 16 wounded French: 6 killed 61 wounded	unknown

The First Battle of Taku Forts (which in Chinese is called 第一次大沽口之戰) was the first time the British and French armies worked together to attack the Taku Forts. These forts were strong buildings located along the Hai River in Tianjin, China. The battle happened on May 20, 1858, during a big conflict known as the Second Opium War.

During this battle, a group of British and French gunboats (small ships with cannons) led by Rear-Admiral Michael Seymour attacked the Chinese forts. The British and French forces won this battle. However, this victory did not end the war completely. After this battle, a peace agreement called the Treaties of Tianjin was signed. Because of these treaties, the forts were given back to the Chinese Qing Army. This led to another fight at the same place later, known as the Second Battle of Taku Forts, which happened in 1859.

Why the Battle Happened

The Second Opium War had already started, and the British and French had captured an important port city called Canton (also known as Guangzhou) in 1857. This happened during the Battle of Canton. The Chinese emperor at the time, the Xianfeng Emperor, found out that Canton had been taken on January 27, 1858.

The British commander, Michael Seymour, wanted to make China agree to a peace treaty. This treaty would later be called the Treaty of Tianjin. To put more pressure on China, he decided to attack the Taku Forts. These forts were important because they were the closest way to reach Peking (now Beijing), the capital city. After the British and French took control of the forts, they searched them. They found many weapons and cannons, some made in China and some from other countries.