结语
    从1841年2月26日巴麦尊训令乔治·懿律促使中国解除鸦片禁令开始，一直到1858年11月8日中英两国代表签署《通商章程善后条约：海关税则》，正式承认鸦片贸易合法化为止，英国的这一外交图谋的最终实现经历了将近18年的时间。从英国议会文件看，参与这一外交阴谋活动的人员中，既有英国首相（巴麦尊），又有外交大臣（阿伯丁、曼兹伯利、克勒拉得恩）；既有英国驻华公使、商务监督（璞鼎查、德庇时和包令），又有驻广州、厦门和上海的领事官（李太郭、阿礼国和沙利文），由此可见，逼迫清朝官员承认鸦片贸易合法化是英国政府既定的一贯坚持的外交方针和政策。通过阅读两次鸦片战争间的关于鸦片问题的英国议会文件，我们可以深刻理解两次鸦片战争发生的性质。关于两次鸦片战争的起因和目的，战争的发动者制造了种种借口，说什么为正义而战，为自由贸易而战，为打破十三行的垄断体制而战，为侮辱英国的国旗而战，为公使馆进入北京而战，等等，这些口实或许都是真实的，但却都不是最主要的。无论是第一次鸦片战争，还是第二次鸦片战争，英国政府发动战争的最主要的最真实的原因和目的都是为了维护鸦片利益。为了维护鸦片走私贸易利益，巴麦尊发动了第一次鸦片战争；为了逼迫中国承认鸦片贸易合法化，巴麦尊又发动了第二次鸦片战争，这种侵略性质不能被改篡。因此，19世纪中期的两次中英战争被中外历史学家称为“鸦片战争”，应当是很有道理的。
    （文章原载：《世界历史》2010年第3期）
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