The Satsuma Confederacy : Longstreet heads East
The First Choshu Expedition
The seeds of the Great Boshin War (1868-1872) can be traced to events that happened less than two decades after Commodore Perry's first contact and opening up of Japan.
In retaliation for the attack of Chōshū on the Imperial Palace in the Hamaguri Rebellion [1], the First Chōshū expedition was launched September 1, 1864 with the intent of punishing the rebellious and radical Daimyo. A full scale military operation was initially planned but Shogun Iemochi was convinced by his advisors to either seek a diplomatic solution first. The first and most famous being Tokugawa Yoshinobu. Guardian of the young 18 year old Shogun. Yoshinaga as chief of political affairs and Katamori as Guardian of Kyoto. The three men then took numerous steps to quell political unrest in the Kyoto area, and gathered allies to counter the activities of the rebellious Choshu and Satsuma, two rich provinces in Southern Japan that were behind the main Imperialist sentiments at court. Ultimately, they believed the best way of countering the Imperialist faction was to seek a reconciliation between the shogunate and the imperial court. One of the results of this was the marriage of young Iemochi with Princess Kazu of the royal family.
Although Iemochi was the Shogun in name, the real ability in government belonged to the Trumviate headed by Yoshinobu, some even comparing his cunning and acumen to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa Shogun who unified Japan in 1600.
Several factors made the councillers seek a different path. Most importantly was the fact that the Shogunate armed forces and prestige were radically weakened due to the repeal of
Sankin Kotai in 1862, when the emperor and his councillors outmanuvered young Iemochi and convinced the shogunate to stop the practice of forcing Daimyos to send hostages to Edo as well as troops, thereby ensuring the loyalty of the multiple major daimyos, or warlords, of Japan. A pre-mature attempt at mobilization would have revealed to the imperialists just how far the decay in Tokugawa power had taken root. By practicing restraint and patience, the threat of a Shogunal mobilization would force at least the neutral lords to be wary and deferring action until the Bakufu[2] was ready. This too, would ensure the continuation of the historical rivalry between Satsuma and Choshu, two of the most independent, rebellious and powerful domains in the empire. Better to have them remain enemies and at each others throats, the Shogunate concluded, than to have them forced together as allies by acting against them. At least for the time being....
The Domain of Satsuma, under Daimyo Shimazu Hisamitsu, is convinced that the Bakufu is mobilizing against Choshu and realizing that they would be next to be attacked once Choshu is swept away, seeks a peaceful solution. Hisamitsu is interested in seeing Choshu extremism crushed, but he still wants Choshu Domain to exist as a ballast and counter in the west against the potential rising Shogunate in the east.
He decides to appoint as his mediator on behalf of Satsuma a famous samurai, Saigo Takamori, who will be heard from later. Officially, The Shogunate demands the heads of several Choshu men suspected to be behind the attacks of the Hamaguri rebellion. While the Choshu, firm in their radical war against the Shogunate, refuse to budge. The negotiations kill precious weeks of time, enough for tensions to cool off. However, the Shogunate still believes a course of action needs to be taken in response to Choshu belligerency. Eventually, a target is agreed upon in the coastal fortifications of Shimonoseki.
The straights of Shimonoseki were a vital crossing for foreign ships, British, French, Russian etc between the Island of Kyushu and the mainland of Honshu and and had been a source of international tension for the Shogunate. This is due to the Choshu Daimyo, Mori Takachika, who, in his fanatical devotion to
Sonnoi-Jo movement
("revere the emperor, expel the barbarians") determination to drive off the
Gai-Jin, or foreigners, had ordered his coastal guns to fire without warning or provocation on any foreign ships passing through his straights.
To counter this, Yoshinobu had opted for a covert operation rather than open conflict. A five hundred man force of elite guerilla fighters, known as Yugekitai, is mobilized. Included as well were several mercenary Ninja. They attempt to spike the coastal guns used to bombard Gai-jin ships off the Straits of Shimonoseki.
The plan starts off without a hitch initially. While pretending to listen to Satsuma overtures for negotiation with the radical imperialists in Choshu domain, the Bakufu secretly send the token force to the domain to quell the rebellious Daimyo and destroy his coastal cannon. The force is disguised as ronin [3] so as to avoid suspicion of being in the employ of the Bakufu.
However, the Choshu men are prepared, and armed with up-to-date rifles. Something the covert force was not prepared for. As a result, The Shogunal forces are bloodily repulsed by Choshu arms and cannon. It is a small defeat, not enough to lead to a serious loss of face and prestige in front of Japan's Daimyos. The Tokugawa counter the Choshu proclamations that the Bakufu sent troops and the official explanation given in Kyoto was that it was a ronin attack, aiming to steal the cannons. The excuse served to belay any immediate Imperialist response, as well as blow over the demands for the heads of the Choshu men in the Hagamuri rebellion, who died in the attack. However, tensions remain, with hostility seething on both sides of the court. Like a powder keg awaiting a spark.
The skirmish off Shimonoseki Straight sent shockwaves through the Shogunate's inner circles. To Yoshinobu especially, it was troubling. The best hand-picked Shogunal troops were no match for the modern equipped Choshu militia. It was a troubling revelation, enough to prompt the Tokugawa into accelerating their adoption of western military techniques. After Commodore Perry's famous black ships had landed in Japan in 1853, the Shogunate had been dealing with various European powers in the so called 'unequal' treaties, to the ire of the radical imperialist domains such as Choshu. The defeat, combined their observations from the Opium war of 1842 between China and Great Britain, provided a case study for the Tokugawa, who saw it as their own fate if they did not take drastic steps.
Seeing the need to reform the miliary and modernize it to put it on equal footing, the Tokugawa decide to give more trust and leeway on an accelerated modernization program with the French in a secret treaty in 1865. The French were decided to be the perfect models for the new modern army, given that they were respected and feared throughout Europe at this time, with Napoleon III and his empire at the height of it's prestige and power.
With the weakening of the Sankin Kotai system, the Tokugawa are forced to draw upon the peasants of their vast domains to fill the ranks. In these times of desperation, the Shogun, under the supervision of Yoshinobu, authorizes the arming and raising of levy peasant armies from their lands, the largest ever seen for almost three hundred years when the great sword hunt of Toyotomi Hideyoshi limited weapons only to samurai. To better prepare these peasants to face the elite samurai warriors of the rogue domains, the first French Military mission is given unprecedented scope in reforming the Bakufu army and system.
Several main points from the Treaty of Edo between the Second French Empire and the Bakufu in 1865.
1.) The construction of a military academy in Edo - specifically a school for the training and educating officers and NCOs
2.) Introducing a school of shooting, using modern french minie rifles
3.) The provision of advisors and materials to construct an arsenal for manufacturing munitions and guns. Employing up to 2,500 workers
4.) Artillery batteries in Edo
5.) Advisors and materials to set up a Gunpowder factory
6.) Setting up coastal defenses in Japan to deter 'pirates'
The mission occurs at a tense time in Japanese history, with foreigners being murdered and rebellious Daimyos scenting the blood of the shogunate. The Bakufu are careful to walk a fine line between adopting the practices of the French while at the same time appeasing the Emperor faction of the court, going as far as to indirectly promise the complete expulsion of every barbarian once enough knowledge has been syphoned off them.
The cultural exchange between the Bakufu and French officers proves to be interesting. And in time, it would be the opinion of many in the Bakufu that they should rely on French support to strengthen themselves militariliy and financially, to adopt the french pattern of an absolute state and proceed to the complete unification of the country under the shogun by confiscation of the lands of the daimyos.
Political dialogues aside, the mission does eventually yield tangible results. The French eventually train a corps of elite troops for the Tokugawa Bakufu known as the
Denshutai in western style arms and drill under the guidance of French Lieutenant Jules Brunet. Armed with the latest in Minie Enfield rifles, the Corps is comprised of 800 men initiallym with the Shogunate planing to increase the number to 3,500 by 1865.
Notes:
[1] August 1864, a group of rebels with ties to Choshu domain assault the gates of Kyoto palace in an attempt to seize control and restore power to the emperor and expel the barbarians
[2]Bakufu - meaning "the dwelling or house of the commander", synonym for the Shogunate
[3] Ronin - rogue or 'masterless' samurai, little better than bandits