BAKUMATSU: From Samurai to Soldiers - Japan in the 1860s

1-237353

The powerful samurai-led Tokugawa dynasty ruled Japan until the 1850s, when a tumultuous period of reforms and radical changes ensued - called Bakumatsu. Provides a detailed overview of the opposing samurai factions as well as their respective military reforms. Introduces all troops, from the lowly but efficient regular infantry to the gallant desperadoes filling the ranks of the Shinsengumi. Ragtag militias replaced proud and resplendently attired samurai fighting for a lost cause. Tactics, arms, clothing, and equipment are presented in detail. Describes the campaigns and battles which changed the country's face between 1866 and 1869. By the 1870s, the Emperor Meiji ruled over a new Japan which no longer had any use for its ancient warrior elite.