Introduction

Thesis: The Tokugawa Shogunate was a fundamental period in the history of Japan because it laid
the foundation for the actual Japanese culture.
I.- The Tokugawa clan brought the end to an era of war and political turmoil and unified Japan into
an organized feudal system.
A.- Tokugawa Ieyasu appeared in a time when the unification of Japan was of the
uttermonst importance for its actual leaders.
a). To rise to power, Ieyasu had to defeat every other lord in Japan,, that at the time
had conformed great factions, in order to declare himself the most powerful military lord in the
forming nation.
B.- After emerging victorious, Ieyasu was declared Shogun, and his house became the
dominant faction in all of Japan.
a). Given their new status, the Tokugawa rearranged the customs and norms of
Japan in order to ensure the continuity of their rule as well as to definitely pacify the different lords
of the island.
b). In order to maintain power and hegemony, the Tokugawa also closed their
borders to minimum external influences.
II.- When the Tokugawa Shogunate finished, Japan was unified as a nation, and had a single
culture and ideology.
A.- By the end of the shougante, Japan opened itself to external influences.
a). While many nations were interested in China, USA set its goals in Japan, which
they forced to sign a trade agreement with them.
b). As a result of the foreign influences, Japanese traditions had to change, and one
of those major changes were the Meiji reform, where the old system established by the Tokugawa
was torn down and left for a more progressive one.
B.- The change of traditions due to external influences made possible for Japan to be a
modern nation with a stable government.
a). The Japanese Empire
III.- Because of the changes that the Tokugawa instaurated, the internal wars in the archipelago of
Japan were finished, and the Japanese had been unified not only politically, but culturally in order to
be a nation.
A.- Cultural impact
a). Japanese nationalism
b). Japanese ideology until WWII
B.- International vision
a). Japanese impact in the world
b). Actual Japan
Conclusion

Introduction:
I-. In the waking of the XV century, the hegemony of Japan was at stake between the two
most powerful families in the country. The Toyotomi, and the Tokugawa, which were at the
time the most powerful clans in the island, collided for the dispute of claiming political and
military superiority and to establish once and for all who was the most powerful.
A.- During the final stages of the Sengoku period, after Oda Nobunaga had tried
and failed to unify japan as a nation, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, former ally of the lord, had risen
to power in his name and was determined to continue the task of his predecessor, and he
would have succeeded if it werent because of his political rival at the time, Tokugawa
Ieyasu.
a) After Toyotomi Hideyoshi died the remaining leaders that had pledged
allegiance to his family immediately clashed against Ieyasu, which was at the time a
functionary too. The tensions exploded when Ieyasu started military campaigns against
Hideyoshis former cabinet. The hostilities with each faction aroused alike until both
factions fought each other at Sekigahara, a decisive battle that was won by Ieyasu, and
served to lay the foundations of the definitive Tokugawa hegemony.
B.- After rising to power, having proven more than competent to maintain peace in
Japan, the emperor made Ieyasu Shogun, and his thus established the dynasty of his
family and clan for over the next two hundred years, or Edo period.
a) The Tokugawa clan brought a feudal system to the other lords of the
nation by which they would be the central authority in order to maintain
peace and establish order. The shogunate monopolized commerce,
diplomatic and political affairs, gaining profit from their advantageous
position while they kept in check the other lords and built a highly
bureaucratic system in order to control and register every activity in
Japan.
b) Another consequence of the Tokugawa shogunate was that it was
prohibited for outside powers to interfere in Japan, with the sole exception of the Dutch,
with which the Tokugawa still remained comercial allies.
II.- The Tokugawa Shogunate is one of the most important periods of Japan but it ended in
order to achieve the development of the country and to improve new ways of government
which leaded Japan into a world power in the 19th century.
A.- By the end of the shogunate, Japan opened itself to external influences which
leaded into a complete change of mind and also into radical changes of commerce and
government; the arrival of the USA into Japan was really important for all the upcoming
changes such as the Meiji Reform
a) During the 18th and 19th centuries many western countries had their eyes
on new markets in Asia, for USA China was the main goal but instead they went to Japan
because they had a large new market and it was the best location for maritime trade.In
1853 American ships arrived demanding a trade agreement with Japana and this event is
known as Kuro-fune raiko but Japan wasnt prepared for the out world and they didnt
have an army to fight against the USA troops so they accepted the agreement.

b) The Meiji reform (1866-1869) The American intrusion caused the division
in the Japanese high class (Ishin shishi led by the daimyo and the shogunates that had a
military force called the Shinsengumi). In 1867 the revolution left the Meiji emperor out of
power and he ordered the dissolution of the shogunate which provoked the Boshin wars;
after this conflicts the samurais revealed against the emperor and the shogunate ended. In
1868 the Meiji era started and all the privileges of the samurais disappeared and Japan
went to an instability which ended four decades later
B.- The change of traditions and the japanese ideology changed after the Meiji
Reform which was the beginning of the Japanese Empire; in this historical moment Japan
evolved into a world power and made drastic changes in the type of government. We could
say that the Japanese Empire modernized the country and brought it into a new era
.a) The Japanese empire can be divided into progressive stages, the first
one is the Meiji Reform which made many advances in the culture and economy of
Japan and where the it adopted new ways of thinking from the foreign countries; is
where the Meiji reforms were already adapted in the country and also where the
territorial expansion started. The second stage was when Japan became a world
power and it started to invest into the military aspects with an authoritarian
government and the third stage is during the WWII where army got involved into
the government and it was when Japan proved the economic and military power
they had.
III.- Because of the changes that the Tokugawa instaurated, the internal wars in the
archipelago of Japan were finished, and the Japanese had been unified not only politically,
but culturally in order to be a nation.
The WWI was a phase of new things for Japan. First the renovation and modernization
leaders had die so the power was in new people. The Meiji Reform was the bases of the
country. There were big social and economic changes that let the political and economic
improve. Japan created an educative system which was a powerful weapon that prevents
the bad thoughts according to the government.
They were more opened to accept ideologies from the occidental world That include
liberalism and socialism.
A.- Cultural impact
a). Japanese nationalism
The Japanese government was very careful with their new weapon that was the
education. They knew that if they teach the right things the people would not have bad
ideas about revealing so they stand out two virtues that were loyalty and filial piety. This
two were the morality bases of the nationalism. (Kerber, Martnez Legorreta, Lozoya, &
Tanaka, 2011)
b). Japanese ideology until WWII
The opening of new ideas and the education caused a social movement by cultured
people that have democrats socialists ideas that did not like the government so they were
persecuted in an aggressive way and prohibited them to write. There was a period known
as parties government and was the first time that political parties had the opportunity to
express their views to the government. Although the different ideas of the parties they all

agreed that Japan had to be a power country in Asia. They had an economic crisis
because of the crisis in USA who was their more important partner and the earthquake in
Tokyo. (Kerber, Martnez Legorreta, Lozoya, & Tanaka, 2011)
B.- International vision
a). Japanese impact in the world
According to (Elena Brles, 2011) la rpida reconstruccin y desarrollo despus de la
guerra convirti a Japn en la segunda potencia econmica mundial tiene su causa en la
herencia espiritual y la intervencin efectiva de los samurais. Japan ...
b). Actual Japan
Conclusin: