Japanese revolution

JAPANESE REVOLUTIONBy: Ji-yeon H., Priyanka G., Calvin S.

Analysis of the Meiji RestorationDissatis-faction

Many samurai were not satisfied with

the way the Shogun managed national

affairs.

Especially the Choshu domain

(Yamaguchi Prefecture). They called for direct

action.

AttackChoshu samurai attacked foreign shipping in the

Shimonoseki Strait in 1863.

In 1864, a shogun expedition forced Choshu domain to

resubmit to Tokugawa authority.

Military Coup

Choshu’s samurai refused to resubmit.

A military coup in 1864 brought a

group of men who originally led the

anti-foreign movement into

power.

Choshu became a center for discontented samurai. In

1866, Choshu became allies with the Satsuma domain.

Analysis of the Meiji Restoration (continued)

Shogun’s Last Attempt

Shogun armies were sent again to control the Choshu in 1866, but were defeated.

Defeat of Shogun armies led to loss of power and prestige.

Last ShogunIn 1866, Shogun Lemochi died,

putting Yoshinubu into power.

In 1867, Yoshinubu resigned his powers instead of risking a full-scale war with

Choshu and Satsuma. He believed he would be given an important

position.

Meiji Restoration

Shogunate ended. However, the

Tokugawa family kept many of its

executive powers causing tensions.

Jan. 3, 1868, Emperor Meiji declared that his title was restored

to its full power and ended ties with the Tokugawa family.

Analysis of Meiji Empire to Constitutional MonarchyRetaliation

With the declaration of his powers being restored, Emperor Meiji confiscated

Yoshinubu’s lands.

Jan. 17, 1868, Yoshinubu demanded

that his lands be given back. His

demand wasn’t met so he began to

mobilize his forces.

Civil War (Boshin

War)

Yoshinubu first attacked just outside Kyoto but his forces

were defeated by the Imperial forces. With the win, Yodo and Tsu

domains sided with the emperor.

A battle erupted in the ocean. The two naval forces fought

but Yoshinubu’s samurai forces won.

Foreigners During the time of the battles, hatred toward foreigners continued to rise.

Yoshinubu was given a plan by a French

ambassador. He didn’t take the plan and

foreign nations signed an agreement to remain neutral.

Analysis of Meiji Empire to Constitutional Monarchy (continued)

Partial Surrender

In May, Edo was surrounded and

Yoshinubu’s Army Minister Katsu

Kaishu surrendered his troops.

The navy commander Enomoto Takeaki,

surrendered 4 ships to the Imperial forces and

headed north with 8 ships and 2,000 Shogun

naval members.

Inner Rebellion

Northern domains continued to side with

the Shogunate. The Imperial prince,

Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa went north and was named head of the northern coalition.

The Shogunate followers intended to make Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa emperor after their victory.

Imperial Victory

Imperial forces continued north. The northern coalition headed to

Hokkaido and set up a government like the U.S. called Republic of Ezo. Takeaki became their

President.

The French were helping Takeaki but when the Imperial

forces reached Hokkaido, Takeaki

surrendered on May 18th.

Analysis of Meiji Empire to Constitutional Monarchy (continued)

Peace Japan became united under Emperor Meiji

(age 16).

The power of daimyo was terminated and the Samurai class was abolished.

Meiji Empire

Land became broken up into prefectures

and ruled by governors appointed

by Meiji.

Emperor Meiji embraced

modernization and technological

advances brought by foreigners.

Constitutional Monarchy/

Today’s Government

The leaders of the Meiji Empire wrote the Charter

of Oath declaring independence from the old

feudal system and a constitution. The

constitution gave the emperor most power.

The constitution established the emperor as the head of the state and had 2 legislative bodies (House of peers –nobles,

and House of Representatives – elected by people). Also set up a

judicial system.

Chronology of Meiji Restoration 1853: US Commodore Matthew Perry arrives at Japan and

demands that Japan open trade with other countries. 1854: Japan signs the Treaty of Amity, which opened ports

in Edo and other cities, as well as allowed for trade with America.

1858: Townsend Harris negotiates the Harris Treaty, which secured US and Japanese trade. This act led to a greater Western influence on Japan’s economy and politics.

1866: Satsuma-Choshu Alliance between Saigo Takamori (leader of the Satsuma) and Kido Takayoshi (Leader of the Choshu). The two leaders supported Emperor Komei and challenged the ruling of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

1867: Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) ascends the throne after Emperor Komei’s death.

Chronology Meiji Empire to Constitutional Monarchy

1868: Boshin War (War of the year of the Dragon)- Satsuma and Choshu are able to defeat the ex-shogun’s army. This ended the Tokugawa Shogunate and allowed for the restoration. On January 3rd, the Emperor formally declared a restoration of power. The three leaders, Okubo Toshimichi, Saigo Takamori, and Kido Takayoshi formed a provisional government.

1869: Boshin War ends in early 1869 with the siege of Hakodate. This marks the end of the Meiji Restoration.

1869: Yukichi Fukuzawa's "Conditions in the West" launches the wave of Westernization.

1870: Emperor Meiji ends the feudal system and forbids the lords from retaining private armies.

1877: The new government was not popular among all Japanese. On Jan 29-September 24, Satsuma ex-samurai launched a revolt against the Meiji government, led by Saigo. This became known as the Satsuma Rebellion. This was the last of the serious armed uprisings against the new government.

1889: Emperor Meiji establishes a parliamentary constitution. However, only about 460,000 people are entitled to vote out of a population of 50 million in the first parliamentary election. Aritomo Yamagata wins the election and becomes the prime minister of Japan.

Important People

Okubo Toshimichi – Japanese Samurai leader from Satsuma Domain.

Saigo Takamori - leader of the Satsuma Domain.

Kido Takayoshi - leader of the Choshu Domain.

Emperor Meiji- emperor after restoration.

Tokugawa Yoshinubu - the shogun who held power during the restoration.

Important Foreigners

US Commodore Matthew Perry - persuades Japan to open up trade

Townsend Harris - negotiated Harris Treaty, which secured US and Japan trade

Map of Meiji Restoration Territory

A World Map Hand-Drawn in Japan (1850)

Boshin War Map

Satsuma Rebellion

Government Structure Under Meiji

Methods Revolutionary Leaders Used to Gain Support The opposition to the Shogunate were called the

imperialists. They gained support from the citizens by educating them on the dangers of the foreigners. They told the masses that the only way Japan could survive the advancement of foreigners onto their land was to rally around the emperor. They persuaded the people that the Tokugawa Shogunate had lost its imperial mandate to carry out the imperial will because it had allowed the Westerners to carry out trade with Japan. The imperialist ideas gained a lot of support, especially from citizens and intellectuals that taught at schools or wrote history books. Mainly, the Japanese public and the Shogun supporters gave in to the imperialists because they felt like they had lost their imperial will, and believed something should change in order to regain it.

PIRATES Politics – • 1868 - The Meiji emperor was restored as head of Japan and the Tokugawa Shogunate was overthrown. •July 1869 - feudal lords were forced to give up their domains.•1871 -these domains were abolished and transformed into prefectures of a unified central state. •1872 - a national army based on universal conscription was created, requiring three years’ military service from all men, samurai and commoner alike. •1877 -Satsuma rebellion – when the government’s newly drafted army, trained in European infantry techniques and armed with modern Western guns, defeated the last resistance of the traditional samurai warriors. •The emperor did not rule, it was the small group of men who exercised political control, that devised and carried out the reform program in the name of the emperor.

Intellectual – •The government also introduced a national educational system, and a constitution, creating an elected parliament called the Diet. •1872 - the government created a national education system to educate the population.

PIRATES (continued) Religion – •The Meiji reformers brought the emperor and Shinto to national prominence, replacing Buddhism as the national religion, for political and ideological reasons. •Shinto holds that the emperor is descended from the sun goddess and the gods who created Japan and therefore is semi-divine.

Technology – •1889 - the constitution was created and given to the people by the emperor as he proclaimed that only he can change it.

-a highly centralized bureaucratic government -a constitution establishing an elective parliament -a well-developed transport and communication system -a highly educated population free from feudal class restrictions -an established and rapidly growing industrial sector based on the latest technology -a powerful army and navy

Art/Architecture – N/A

PIRATES (continued)Economy – •They built railway and shipping lines, telegraph and telephone systems, three shipyards, three mines, five munitions works, and fifty-three consumer industries (sugar, glass, textiles, cement, chemicals, and other important products). •1880 - the government decided to sell most of these industries to private investors, thereafter encouraging such activities through subsidies and other incentives.•1860s - large ports were dominated by western powers farmers were outraged by higher tariffs and blood tax – government officials taking their sons off the lands to serve in the army •The Meiji oligarchs suspended the Samurai’s stipends in rice and ultimately compelled them to go into business for themselves.

Social – •1876 - the government banned the wearing of samurai swordsThey abolished the feudal system meaning more people were free to choose their occupation and move around freely. •1862 - abandonment of sankin kotai system of alternative attendance •1866 - Tokugawa Yoshinobu becomes new Shogun – initates major reforms•1868 - Charter Oath calls for abolition of “absurd customs” and seeking of foreign knowledge

Comparison Before – •population divided in four distinct classes; samurai, farmers, craftspeople, and traders. Daimyo – samurai – farmers – artisans – traders•taxes on the poor set a fixed amount •tax revenues collected by samurai landowners worth less •bakuhan taisei – feudal political system (military government) Shogun had military power – more powerful then emperor •alternative residence system required daimyo to reside alternate years between their home and Edo. •foreign affairs and trade monopolized by shogunate yielding a huge profit•1603 onward Japan participated in foreign trade•after 1635 – seclusion laws, in bound ships were only allowed from china, Korea and the netherlands •Christianity saw as a growing threat to stability – banned the practice of it. – linked to the seclusion laws.

After – •emperor restored as imperial power •actual political power transferred to small group of nobles and former samurai •signed unequal treaties with the West that granted the West one-sided economical and legal advantages in Japan. •establishment of human rights – ex. religious freedom in 1873•made Japan a democratic state•samurais lost all their privileges•daimyo returned all their lands to the emperor •education reformed to look like the French and then later the German education system •principles of Shinto and Confucianism were emphasized•army modeled after Prussian’s and navy modeled after Britain’s •transportation and communication improved •textile industry created•reform in currency system and establishment of Bank of Japan •European style constitution established in 1889. Parliament called the diet

Work Division

Ji-yeon Hyun – Analysis, Powerpoint Priyanka Ghosh – PIRATES,

Comparison Calvin Su – Chronology

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