I spent months uniting Japan in Shogun 2. I will not let some boy king take that away from me

Isn't that ironic that Imperial sides (Meiji Restoration) are more willing to be westernized, especially Satsuma, while they wanted Western Powers out of their country?

You choose a faction at the beginning that is either a supporter of the emperor or shogun. However, you can change allegiance at any time during the campaign.

However, he remained as a shogun, being the 'main advisor' of the Emperor, and thus came to being something called Kyoto-Edo alliance, something was not meant to last for long. Sakamoto Ryoma, the main creator of this alliance was murdered by shogunate zealots and thus Satcho Alliance forced open war to ultimately destroy Tokugawa. Their forces clashed at Toba-Fushimi, and thus began the Boshin War. The Imperialists forced shogun to eventual resignation, and Tokugawa were stripped of last power.

actually, it was even more complicated. American fleet under commander Perry if i remember correctly, forced signing this treaty, threatening shogun with their naval power. And so, as Japan was in this time really backward, shogun had no option to refuse. Trade was established... bla bla bla, and then after 10 years the Emperor decided to move in and get rid of westerners. Those who followed the shogun, wanted to see the bright side of those treaties as success on a diplomatic field.

The American warships bit, he said "1853" but the subs say "1854"

and, unlike you said, the main members of this movement were the SAMURAI, enlightened ones like Saigo Takamori and Sakamoto Ryoma, who sacrificed their lives to serve the Emperor, and eventually (the first one) to overthrow the shogun. those Samurai supervized the creation of Satcho Alliance - alliance between two most powerful domains in pro-imperial faction - Satsuma and Choshu, and with aid of other domains, this alliance forced shogun to resign his power to the Emperor.

0:40 Says 1853, subtitled 1854 o.0

...the country. The westerns took advance of the shogunate's ignorance of trade since they had had much trade for the passed 250 years. Because of this, the agreement easily favoured the westerners. The emperor used this situation to try and reclaim some authority at the expense of the westerners. But once the civil war began, either side wanted western support, regardless of passed options of the west

The Shogun wanted tradition to rule Japan. The Emperor on the other hand wanted change - wanted Japan to be modernized, so it could oppose Western powers in future, to avoid things like bombardment of Kagoshima. He relied on and treated well his samurai, not saw them as barbarians. Even the most loyal ones have seen changes as too quick however, and even Saigo Takamori rose up against it, believing he still serves well his Emperor. Modernists destroyed them and thus ended the age of the samurai.

I wonder what would happen if the shogun's forces won that war, and how Japan would be today if it happened.

I love the Brand-Name for the Tea: "Creative Tea".

The last, zealous and fanatical shogunate supporters - Aizu, Sendai and Nagaoka domains, fought to the last, and son of the last Tokugawa shogun fled with them to island of Ezo (today Hokkaido) were their proclaimed the Republic of Ezo and asked for mercy and right to practice the samurai traditions on the island while still under Emperor's rule. The Satcho however forced on the Emperor to decline the offer, and eventually, after battle of Hakodate, separatist forces seized to exist.

damn, that is the most text i have ever seen in a responce to a youtube comment ever

The shogun allowed the westerns to come in, which was coun

But Emperor's loyalists were a bit overzealous with task given to them, and many western envoys and ambassadors were murdered by people, whose main maxim was "revere the Emperor, drive away barbarians". And so "Western powers gave their answer" and British for example bombarded Kagoshima in Satsuma domain as a retaliation. And so followers of the emperor were forced to surrender, but from that movement another was created. Old maxim was replaced by "revere the Emperor, overthrow the Shogunate".

Is it bad that I sympathize with the Shögun over the Emperor?

yes it is true shogun let them in, emperor want them out... and then things got worse after that... its complicated i know...

I need to up my research rate if I want to know this much. :)

an excellent theory backed by well established facts, tell me where did you get your degree again? Im currently studying history in the UK, but nice one anyway Mr. "Jewlicious"

Sorry. The shogun allowed the westerners to come, which was not common practice for the shogunate since foreigners of all kinds (particularly Christians) were not allowed to enter the co

War sucks no matter who are the belligerents.

Wait... what? Now I'm confused. I thought the Emperor signed the trading treaties with the West not the shogun. Was Shogun against the modernization of Japan, right? If so why the intro says it otherwise?