Abstract
Abstract The Self-Strengthening Movement that started in China at the beginning of the 1860s included, along with other steps and measures, new plans for importing modern weapons from the West. This reform process therefore provided a new opportunity for foreign arms producers, including the German firm Fried. Krupp. This article analyses Krupp’s first activities in China, describes significant circumstances affecting the arms trade, evaluates the rivalry with British and French companies in the Chinese market and assesses the significance for the German company of its involvement in building a modern Chinese navy. The article’s approach is comprehensive and it is based on extensive research focusing on mostly unpublished sources, especially materials from German archives, often used here for the first time.
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