Etymology and Political Background
– Boshin refers to the fifth year of a sexagenary cycle in traditional East Asian calendars.
– The war started in the fourth year of the Keiō era, which became the first year of the Meiji era.
– The war ended in the second year of the Meiji era.
– Japan had a strict policy of isolationism for two centuries prior to 1854.
– Commodore Matthew C. Perry’s expedition opened Japan to global commerce in 1854.
– The unequal treaties imposed on Japan by foreign powers led to internal dissent against the Tokugawa shogunate.
– Emperor Kōmei started to take an active role in state matters and protested against the treaties.
– Attacks against the shogunate and foreigners occurred, including the shelling of foreign shipping in Shimonoseki.
Early Discontent against the Shogunate
– Emperor Kōmei ordered the expulsion of barbarians in 1863, inspiring attacks against the shogunate and foreigners.
– Retaliations by foreign powers, such as the British bombardment of Kagoshima, countered these actions.
– The forces of Chōshū Domain and rōnin raised the Hamaguri rebellion in 1864, but were repelled by shogunate forces.
– The shogunate ordered a punitive expedition against Chōshū, obtaining their submission without actual fighting.
– Resistance among Chōshū leadership and the Imperial Court subsided, but the Tokugawa shogunate struggled to regain control.
Military Phase of the Meiji Restoration
– The western domains of Satsuma, Chōshū, and Tosa joined forces to defeat the shogunate forces.
– Imperial forces launched a military campaign to seize the emperor’s court in Kyoto.
– The tide turned in favor of the smaller but modernized Imperial faction.
– Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the shōgun, abdicated and surrendered after a series of battles.
– The defeat at the Battle of Hakodate broke the last holdout and left the Emperor as the de facto supreme ruler throughout Japan.
Impact and Aftermath
– Around 69,000 men were mobilized during the Boshin War, with about 8,200 killed.
– The victorious Imperial faction abandoned the objective of expelling foreigners and focused on modernization.
– Saigō Takamori’s influence led to clemency for Tokugawa loyalists and their inclusion in the new government.
– The Boshin War was followed by the bloodier Satsuma Rebellion.
– Japan continued its modernization and eventually renegotiated the unequal treaties with Western powers.
N/A (No identical concepts found) Source URL:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boshin_War
