JAPANESE HISTORY

Tokugawa Japan 1600-1878

1 Control system

2 Collapse of Tokugawa Shogunate

> 3 Downfall of Tokugawa Shogunate

4 Note

Meiji Japan 1878-1912

1 Introduction

2 Charter Oath

3 Abolition of feudalism

4 Political Modernization

5 Economic Modernization

6 Military Modernization

7 Education Modernization

8 Note - Rise of militarism

All rights reserved - 2003- By C.F.Cheng

Downfall of Tokugawa Shogunate

• 'troubles at home, dangers from abroad'
• Tokugawa Shogunate had been in a state of decline for more than 2 centuries
• Before, Tokugawa Shogunate's authority was only challenged theoretically
• After signing the 1^st treaty with the Americans & other western powers, Shogun faced, for the first time with some real & formidable threats
• Prestige of the Shogun reached its lowest point

Imperial court

• The breakdown of Seclusion Policy had an immediate effect on the struggle between emperor & Bakufu
• status of Emperor was raised
• emperor was recalled into active politics
• emperor's prestige had been enhanced due to promotion of Neo-Confucianism, revival of Shintoism, encouragement in the study of Japan's ancient history

+ anti-foreign feeling among the common people

Rise of Choshu & Satsuma

• tozama

1. economic strength
2. strong mil force
3. simple life internal solidarity
4. located far away from the urban centres, economically & socially backward
5. morale of the samurai had less been affected by the economic changes & merchant culture
6. strong & capable leadership
7. knowledge in science, technology, industry
8. Choshu situated in trade routes
9. breakdown of social division - peasants & townsmen could become 'warriors' when needed

- able to take more effective action in times of national crisis

Rivalry & power struggle between Choshu & Satsuma

• to gain national leadership
• rivalry between pro-foreign & anti-foreign factions within the central government & among the feudal han led to an alliance of the powerful western clans in support of the imperial court, ie. overthrow the Tokugawa Shogunate
• the final result were the complete collapse of the old dictatorship, restoration to power of Emperor Meiji

1.  Choshu: union between imperial court & Shogunate 1861

• Proposed by Daimyo of Choshu
• But, most samurai in Choshu determined to overthrow Tokugawa Shogunate

2.  Satsuma: alliance between imperial court & Shogunate 1862

• Strengthen both the imperial court & Shogunate through the alliance
• Emperor agreed
• Conflict with Br for killing of a Br merchant in 1862
• Br attacked against Satsuma
• Surrendered of Satsuma
• Learned more western naval strength from this experience

3.  Choshu: advise emperor to set a deadline for Tokugawa Shogunate to expel the barbarians 1862

• Choshu did not want the Satsuma clan to get the upper hand
• new policy 'expelling the barbarians & supporting the emperor'
• 24^th June 1863
• emperor agreed
• Tokugawa Shogunate accepted
• Choshu made itself dominant in the imperial court

4.  Satsuma: started a coup to expel the Choshu guards in Kyoto 1863

• Alarmed by the growing dominance of Choshu in imperial court
• Successfully gained control over the emperor
• Re-adopted the proposal to unite the court & Tokugawa Shogunate

5.  Choshu: started a counter-coup against the dominance of Satsuma in Kyoto 1864

• Met with defeat
• Carried out the explusion order that Tokugawa Shogunate failed to do in June 1863
• Disastrous defeats by the western allied fleets in Shimonoseki
• The need to learn western mil & technology
• Choshu backbone of Meiji army
• Tokugawa Shogunate declined rapidly although it tried to save face by paying indemnity for Choshu & Satsuma

Alliance between Choshu & Satsuma 1866

• 1862, Sankin Kotai was relaxed, great lords were given the right to 'advise' the Shogun
• 1864, Tokugawa Shogunate sent expedition to attack against Choshu army in Kyoto
• with the help from Satsuma, Tokugawa Shogunate force suppressed the Choshu rebels
• Tokugawa Shogunate assumed its authority was restored
• Tried to revive the Sankin Kotai
• Met with total ignorance by the Daimyo
• Anti-foreignism & Anti-Tokugawa joined Choshu & Satsuma together
• 1866, Tokugawa Shogunate made the 2^nd expedition against Choshu, but was defeated
• Tokugawa Shogunate was insulted, lost power & prestige
• 1866, Choshu & Satsuma improved their relationship
• reached consensus
• co-operation & compromise with the aim to overthrow Tokugawa Shogunate

Fall of Tokugawa Shogunate

1866, death of Shogun

1867, death of emperor, Meiji succeeded (dominated by anti-Tokugawa advisers)

• Toza persuaded the new Shogun to return his political power to emperor
• the new Shogun wanted to compromise with the new emperor, but met with strong opposition from Choshu & Satsuma
• many samurai in Choshu & Satsuma wanted to completely crush the Shogunate
• Choshu & Satsuma announced an imperial restoration
• later declared that the Shogun was excluded from the new government & his land was confiscated
• the Shogun prepared to accept the treatment in silence
• but, some Shogunal officials decided to fight
• 1868, civil war broke out, Shogunate army was defeated
• most of the Shogunate supporters were suppressed
• some Shogunate supporters continued to fight, but were finally defeated
• end of Tokugawa Shogunate 265 years