After
their failed coup in Kyoto, Choshu leaders faced a punitive expedition from the
Shogunate, mandated by Emperor Komei. Explore the Choshu Expeditions meant to
weaken the rebellious Daimiate instead further weakened the Bakufu.
First Choshu
Expedition
On
August 24, 1864, Emperor Komei declared the Choshu Lords rebels and ordered the
Bakufu to chastise them for their insolence to attack the sacred city of Kyoto.
Hitotsubashi Keiei sensed the moment to crush the center of extremism cowering
in Choshu and gathered an army to fulfill the imperial decree.
On
November 1864, a Shogunal army, led by Tokugawa Yoshikatsu, late Prince of Owari, marched into Choshu. The army faced little resistance since the
Choshu political atmosphere changed beforehand. The moderate Vulgar View Party, as their detractors called them, previously disagreed vainly to the
attempted coup made on Kyoto and stood at the center on issues such as the
expelling of barbarians and the re-imposition of the Sakoku.
After launching a coup bringing them to power, the Vulgar View Party had the
Choshu Daimyo Mori Takachika/Yoshichika and his son incarcerated in a temple and had the leaders of the Kyoto attack executed. They meanly presented the heads of
these leaders, such as Masuda, Kunichi, and Echigo, to Lord Yoshikatsu to show their
sincerity of reconciliation with the Shogunate.
They then surrendered the remaining disgraced extremist nobles like Sanjo Satenomi, who were spread and left in different Domains. Lastly, they promised to disband the Kiheitai that participated in the Kyoto attack. With much of the Vulgar View Party’s cooperation, the Bakufu left by January 1865.
They then surrendered the remaining disgraced extremist nobles like Sanjo Satenomi, who were spread and left in different Domains. Lastly, they promised to disband the Kiheitai that participated in the Kyoto attack. With much of the Vulgar View Party’s cooperation, the Bakufu left by January 1865.
Interlude
 |
| Oguri Tadamasa |
Bakufu Resurgence
The
victory in Choshu highly uplifted the Bakufu’s confidence to strongly
reassert its authority to the alarm and concern of the Imperial Court, and
other Daimyos, especially the Tozama like Satsuma.
It
began with the reinstitution of the degrading Sakin Kotai or alternate attendance by Daimyos to Edo. Satsuma and other Daimyos opposed the idea. Kyoto viewed its
implications and called for the cancellation of the Bakufu’s plan, to which Edo ultimately rescinded. Nevertheless, other officials within the Shogunate looked at
the time as momentous to propose radical reforms. Oguri Tadamasa reorganized the
Shogunal Army and adopted western weapons and trainings, developing further the
Sampeitai.
In
governance, Western government systems as espoused by French minister to Japan
Leon Roche, inspired Oguri to propose the abolition of the han
system or the Japanese feudal system that divided the country into domains led by Daimyos. But this radical shift failed to materialize as Daimyos in all
sides rejected it. Yet the bold proposals of Oguri previewed the
reforms made during the Meiji Era.
The
sudden resurgence of Bakufu authority cracked the fragile state of Kobu Gattai
or Unity of Court and Shogunate. The Imperial Court and the main supporter of
the union, Satsuma Lord Shimazu Saburo, feared for the return of the pre-1853
political order, where the Shogun reigned supreme. Satsuma saw a chance to
weaken the Bakufu after the events in Choshu and the fresh call from Edo to launch another punitive expedition.
Choshu Power Struggle
 |
| Kiheitai |
Power
struggle within the Choshu Domain erupted as the ruling Vulgar View Party faced
a rebellion from loyalist and anti-Shogunate factions of the Kiheitai. The
relentless victories of these rogue units prompted the downfall of the party
and brought another Shogunal expedition against the Domain.
By January, Shogunal forces withdrew from the domain after the Vulgar View Party
presented good will towards the Bakufu. But the Vulgar View faced a challenge in disbanding the scattered Kiheitai. The Kiheitai had various units working
autonomously from one another, and so when the order to disband came to some
units with strong anti-Shogunate and extremist view, they profusely rejected it
and launched a rebellion.
 |
| Takasugi Shinsaku |
On
January 13, 1865, units led by Takasugi Shinsuku and Ito Hirobumi along with
samurais led by Yamagata Kyosuke (Aritomo) raided government offices in
Shimonoseki. The moderates in Choshu capital of Hagi sent an army to quell the
rogue Kiheitai units, but they soon faced defeat in the hands of other
irregular rifle units of the Choshu army.
By
March 12, 1865, Takasugi’s army along with Kido Takayoshi/Koin reigned supreme
in Choshu and called for the reinstatement of the Mori Clan.
Meanwhile,
in Osaka, the Shogun arrived to deal with the punishment for the Mori clan. The news of the events in Hagi haven’t yet reach Osaka. The
Shogun, after pleading from other Shimazu and other Daimyos, agreed to give a more lenient punishment than sending Mori Yoshinaka and his son to Edo as prisoners and as
trophies of Bakufu supremacy. Instead, he agreed for the abdication of the
present Daimyo in favor of his grandson and the reduction of the size of the
Domain by 100,000 koku.
But
when the news of the punishment arrived in Hagi, Kido and other extremist samurais and
Lords wholly rejected it. Kyoto then sanctioned another expedition against
Choshu on May 1865 by the Bakufu and upon Hitotsubashi’s request despite the
objections of Shimazu Saboro, Katsu Kaishu, among others.
Second Choshu
Expedition
Preparations
for the expedition, however, lasted for about a year.
First, diplomatic issues distracted the Shogun and Hitotsubashi Keiei. Foreign representatives demanded the early opening of Osaka and Hyogo to foreigners as stipulated in the London Protocol and demanded the approval of the Emperor on all of the treaties signed by Edo. Another reason was the difficulty in mustering troops for the expedition. Satsuma and other Tozama Daimyos like Tosa refused to support the expedition and withhold sending contingents for the expeditionary force. They believed the punitive action went beyond tolerable not to mention hugely expensive. And so it took until July 1866 before the Bakufu assembled a sizable force in Hiroshima to fight the Choshu army.
First, diplomatic issues distracted the Shogun and Hitotsubashi Keiei. Foreign representatives demanded the early opening of Osaka and Hyogo to foreigners as stipulated in the London Protocol and demanded the approval of the Emperor on all of the treaties signed by Edo. Another reason was the difficulty in mustering troops for the expedition. Satsuma and other Tozama Daimyos like Tosa refused to support the expedition and withhold sending contingents for the expeditionary force. They believed the punitive action went beyond tolerable not to mention hugely expensive. And so it took until July 1866 before the Bakufu assembled a sizable force in Hiroshima to fight the Choshu army.
The
Second Choshu Expedition was not as easy as the first. Matsudaira Katamori and
Osagawara Nagamichi led the campaign setting up three fronts against Choshu –
Aki (southeastern), Iwami (northeastern), Buzen (southwestern coming from the
other side of Shimonoseki in the island of Kyushu).
The
sampeitai led the
assault with contingents from other Daimyos on the island of Oshima in the
Iwami Front on July 12, 1866. They succeeded in taking the island but later
faced a counter attack by Choshu vessels ordered by Takasugi Shinsaku and
Aritomo Kyosuke.
Shogunal coalition forces in Aki advanced on July 26 but suffered from a devastating ambush by Choshu forces, compelling them to retreat to Ono.
At the same time Bakufu forces in mainland Iwami retreated back after facing heavy attacks from Choshu forces led by Inoue Bunta (Kaouru) and Omura Masujiro.
Shogunal coalition forces in Aki advanced on July 26 but suffered from a devastating ambush by Choshu forces, compelling them to retreat to Ono.
At the same time Bakufu forces in mainland Iwami retreated back after facing heavy attacks from Choshu forces led by Inoue Bunta (Kaouru) and Omura Masujiro.
Before
July ended, Bakufu positions in Buzen endured naval attacks from Choshu
warships upon orders of Yamagata. They then fought an amphibious attack from
Choshu samurai at 8 am causing a battle that raged until 4 pm. Bakufu forces
suffered a defeat.
On July 29, a French warships en route to Nagasaki arrived in the port of
Shimonoseki and threatened the Choshu Domain of military action if they don’t
surrender to the Bakufu, their said allies, giving the rebels 10 days to reply.
Upon the departure of the French warships Choshu forces continued to attack
Buzen. And as the French warship returned, the Choshu leaderships justified the
aggression of the Bakufu as their main reason to fight. The French eventually
left when their rival the British arrived.
The
fighting continued and Bakufu forces faced once again another onslaught from
Choshu forces in Shijuhassaka on August 5, 1866. The battle described by the
Kinse Shiriaku stated, “…both sides fought with desperation, and lost so
many men in killed and wounded that the field were covered with corpses.”
By
September, 1866, Bakufu forces retreated back from Buzen as Choshu forces
advanced. On the 16th, Ono fell and the Bakufu army retreated back
to Hiroshima and the coalition army collapsed. At the end of September, news
of the death of Shogun Iemochi reached the frontlines; and Matsudaira Katamori
and Hitotsubashi Keiei used the mourning for the demised Shogun as a pretense for a ceasefire to save
the face of the Bakufu from a humiliating defeat.
Before
the fighting ended, rumors of a Satsuma and Choshu alliance with the
support of the British had already spread. The alliance resulted to a strong
resistance by Choshu and the second expedition took the prestige and wealth
of the Bakufu.
Explore also:
Bibliography:
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