Enomoto the true last Samurai No.4

Anti-Bukufu movements in Choshu domain

The Choshu loyalists had been defeated and lost power but the
Bakufu had not rooted them out completely. Surviving remnants
continued to organize militia using western arms and military
techniques. In an unprecedented social innovation, the organizers
of this militia, in particular Shinsaku Takasugi, allowed peasants
to join, although peasants were strictly forbidden from bearing
arms and training as soldiers.
Whether they saw this a chance for individual glory or a grander
cause, these farmer-soldiers and their samurai partners built units
with high morale as well as skill. Takasugi's forces fought a
victorious civil war in Choshu. They retook control of the domain
government. Takasugi was preparing fight the Bakufu.

December 1864: Shinsaku Takasugi* who is a samurai in the Choshu
domain and is one of followers to Shoin Yoshida*, raises an army at
Kozan temple in Chofu and tries to change the clan's policies,
although the government of the Choshu domain are dominated by
Bafuku friendly Samurais. The Rikishi-tai group ,which is a militia
commanded by Shunsuke Ito* ,supports the Takasugi's army.
However,internal strife breaks out and the clan plunges into chaos.
January 1865: Aritomo Yamagata* takes command of the Kiheitai
(Irregular Militia) and conquers the Zokuron-ha (conservatives).
Then, the Seigi-ha (reformists) take control of the Choshu clan.
The Choshu clan divides its territory into four: Geishu side
(Hiroshima), Oshimaguchi side (Suou Oshima), Sekishu-guchi side
(Simane) and Kokura side(Fukuoka Kokura), for protection.

Four allied foreign countries require the Shogunate to do the
following things as compensation for the Shimonoseki attack incident.

＊Payment of reparations within the year of 1870.
＊Open up the ports in Osaka and Kobe. If the treaty is accepted by
the Emperor, the allied countries will allow extension of the dead-
line of the repayment.
Shogun Yoshinobu manages to suppress his councilors and asks the
allied countries to extend the reply dead-line. Then he goes to
Kyoto to see the Emperor and ask for advice directly.
However, the imperial court does not accept the treaty nor allowing
the opening of the port in Kobe. This incident causes the Shogunate
lose some face.

In 1865: Second Seicho war (the second war between the Bakufu and
the Choshu domain), also called the Shikyo war. The war is the
turning point in which the Shogunate starts to follow a course of
decline. On the other hand, Choshu regains power by allying itself
with the Satsuma clan and their movement toward overthrowing the
Shogunate is accelerated.
From that context, the Second Seicho war is a very important
incident,which this paper will explain in more detail.
1866: Takasugi now holds the real power over the Choshu clan.
Takasugi attacks Kokura castle with his irregular militia in the
Shikyou War.
In Choshu, Takasugi and his later subordinate, Yamagata have
gradually built a skilled force through the war, which will become
the Imperial army in the Meiji era.

May 1866: The Shogunate ordered each clan to attack Choshu one year
previously but all of them (Satsuma, Owari, Echizen etc.) deny the
order. The Shogunate is in financial crisis. Also, Japan is hit by
a seriouscountry-wide famine nationally that year and the state of
society becomes chaotic because of peasant riots in Edo, Osaka and
Hyogo. Therefore, the Shogunate cannot resort to attack Choshu
immediately.
Discussion on whether to attack Choshu takes time and one year has
past since the order was made.
On the other hand, as explained before, the Seigi-ha (reformists)
including Takasugi strengthens the foundations of the clan and
Choshu is almost ready to fight against the Shogunate. The Choshu
clan allies itself with Satsuma and buys the newest weapons from
the UK.
May, 1866: The Shogunate masses 100,000 troops to the border of
Choshu. Choshu, on the other hand, has only one tenth of the
Shogunate's troops. The irregular militia,Kieitai which are
commanded by Takasugi and Yamagata are at the Kokura-guchi side.
Yamagata is hawkish and suggests an offensive plan to Kido.
However, Kido reproves Yamagata saying that Choshu needs appeal
"Choshu has no choice but to defend ourselves against the
Shogunate because people will suffer if the Shogunate invades."
June 7th: The war starts with cannonfire from the battleship of
the Shogunate at Oshimaguchi side. In Kokura town, Takasugi and
his party plan to attack the castle of Kokura where 20000 troops
of Kokura clan and Higo clan are gathered.
June 17th: Takasugi and his irregular militia launch attacks
under covering fire from its battleship. Takasugi occupies the
castle by August but the battle lasts till the end of December.
On 28th of December the peace talks are concluded. The battle in
Kokura is the hardest among the four battles because Kokura is
outside of the Choshu clan. The following are the strategies
Takasugi and Yamagata followed in the war.
・Using the alliance between the Choshu clan and the Satsuma
Clan,they dominate the whole of Kyushu.
・To persuade Hiroshima and Okayama domains to cooperate with
Satsuma and Choshu.
・Moreover, to persuade Tosa, Tottori and Matsuyama domains
which have great power support Satsuma and Choshu.
The above strategies were submitted to the clan heads.
However they were not accepted and the Toba-Fusimi war breaks
out one year later.
In the other three battles, Choshu wins without any difficulty.
The reasons why the Shogunate loses are:
＊The Shogunate's forces use old fashioned weapons such as bows,
arrows and lances. Choshu, on the other hand, arm themselves
with the latest weapons.
＊Choshu forces' morale is boosted to protect their country.
＊Choshu occupies advantageous positions.
France supports the Shogunate. As a result, the war takes on the
aspect of a proxy war which Katsu fears the most.
On July 20th, Iemochi dies of an illness at the age of 21.
Yoshinobu ends up taking over the main branch of the Tokugawa
family.　After Iemochi dies, Yoshinobu reluctantly takes over
as the shogun.
In December: However, Yoshinobu becomes the 15th Shogun after
receiving the request from the Imperial Court. Then Yoshinobu
calls Katsu over and dispatches him to Choshu for negotiations
to stop the war. Katsu heads to Choshu and waits in the town of
Miyajima. He negotiates with Choshu to stop the war, due to
the death of Iemochi.
Practically, they stop the war because of the loss of the
Bakufu. This incident causes the clans to lose trust in
Yoshinobu.
December, 1866: Demise of the Emperor Koumei. As a result,
Reconciliation between the imperial court and the Shogunate fails.

In 1867 January : The Emperor Meiji ascends the throne.
April: Takasugi dies from a disease while he fights in Shikyo war.
October : By Yoshinobu's desperate efforts, the treaty is accepted
by the Imperial Court but the pening up of the port of Kobe and
punishment of Choshu were left as issues to be dealt with in the
future. At this point, the Shogunate looses its authority
completely.