The Military Events of the Meiji Restoration

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In this investigation I will look at the major historical and military events of the transition of the Edo period to the Meiji Period and the Meiji Restoration and look at how they relate to the freedom of Japanese people.

Japan during the periods of 1600 – 1868 A.D. was a land of seclusion, military power and oppression. This was known as the Edo period. This however was one of the most peaceful times in Japan’s history. This peace was established through the military powers of the Tokugawa Shogunate. This peace brought with it no real individual freedoms. The supposed ruler of Japan the emperor was known as a du jure emperor, ruling by permission from the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1868, the Tokugawa shogun lost its power and the emperor regained his power during what is known as the Meiji Restoration.

The Meiji Restoration (1868 – 1912 A.D.)

This period lasted through the reign of the Meiji Emperor (Pictured right). At the start of his reign, Japan had a weak military, the main industry being agriculture, and almost no technological advancement. By the time of the death of the emperor in 1912, Japan had a centralised, bureaucratic government, a constitution with an elected parliament, well-developed transport and communication systems, a highly educated population, a rapidly growing industrial sector based on the latest technology and a powerful army and navy. This rise in power scared several European powers and established the Japanese as an unwanted equal of the European powers. With this change in government and social thinking, the Japanese themselves gained personal public freedom from the feudal ways of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The first event that started the Meiji restoration was one that was oppressive but set for...

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Edoardo Chiossone, (1878), Takamori Saigo [ONLINE]. Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Takamori_Saigo.png [Accessed 23 August 11].

Onwar.com. 2000. Japan Russia War. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.onwar.com/aced/data/romeo/russojapanese1904.htm. [Accessed 29 August 11].

The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2000. Japan, 1800–1900 A.D.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=10®ion=eaj#/Key-Events. [Accessed 25 July 11].

Uchida Kuichi, (1872), Meiji Emperor [ONLINE]. Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Meiji_Emperor.jpg [Accessed 15 August 11].

Ukiyoe Cities. 2008. Satsuma Rebellion. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.taisho.com/satsuma.html. [Accessed 24 August 11].

Watkins, T. 2000. The Fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/tokufall.htm. [Accessed 02 September 11].

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