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Black Lotus

Valkyria
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"The Tales of the Meiji Restoration"


Picture1.jpg

Prologue​


Japan's history in the 19th Century and early 20th Century would be both turbulent and unpredictable. Crippled from political rebellion, war, and death, the Japanese people would endure years of hardship to be accepted by the modern world. New sacrifices would be made for change, including ones not thought of often such as the loss of tradition and ways of life. However, through radical changes both in terms of government and social life, a nation would be born that would challenge the European powers for years to come.

However, our story does not start in our modern time, our story begins in a time where Japan was hardly ever mentioned on a map or in casual conversations at the local bar. The year is 1836 where Europe was still untainted from its colonization policies, and Asia was largely unknown to the common man living in Europe or America. Japan at this time was a country of tradition and hierarchy, the Shoguns and Samurai were the Kings and Knights we know from European textbooks and art, but their purpose was generally the same.

JapanStart.jpg

Japan 1836

The 19th Century would be ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate which was a feudal military dictatorship controlled by the Tokugawa Family. Samurai during this time increasingly became courtiers, bureaucrats, and administrators rather than warriors. With no warfare since the early 17th Century, samurai gradually lost their military function during the Tokugawa Era (Often called the Edo Period). The reigning shogun would be Tokugawa Ienrai, soon to be replaced by Ieyoshi in 1838, but not all would be well in Japan. Foreign influences from European powers would force Japan to make an important decision: To become stronger and resist invasion? Or to appease Europe and fall into the depths of history? The stage was now set for one of the greatest stories to be told in Asia, the ideas of nationalism, tradition, and culture would clash together in one conflict, altering Japan's history forever.
 
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Hello everyone, this will be my first full AAR and I've decided to play as Japan because me, and my co-editor Renee believe that not many people know the actual history of Japan. Hopefully this game will turn out to be a good one because exciting games make the best stories :p

Anyway, I'll be playing as Japan in the Grand Campaign
Difficulty: Hard
Aggressive AI
Victoria: Revolutions with latest patch

Enjoy everyone! New update probably during the weekend.
 
Very nice!

I will try to keep track of this!

Rensslaer
 
Always like a good Japanese AAR.

Welcome to AAR-writing!
 
Chapter 1: New Beginnings (1836-1842)

The 19th Century for Japan would be a drastic change for both the people and the government. Starting in 1839, Japan would receive it's first “wake up” call that they could no longer ignore European affairs in Asia. In that same year, the United Kingdom would declare colonial war against the Chinese Empire over British rights in Guangzhou. The political tension that had been boiling in China the past decade would eventually spillover into open warfare, leading into the first “Opium War”.

ChinaOpiumWar.jpg

The United Kingdom declares war against the Chinese Empire

The history of the incident dates back to the earlier 19th Century of which the British had a lucrative business in China by which the British would sell the highly valued drug of opium to the Chinese people. The reason why the British would choose China was not only for it's large market of people, but also due to the fact that China had luxury items such as tea and silk. By 1839, over two million Chinese people would be habitual users and to stop this epidemic, the Qing government would send Lin Zexu to stop the newly dubbed “Opium Trade” in China. The British though would not be so inclined to simply cease the lucrative trade in China and the matter of “extraterritoriality” would be the cause of the war that would catch Tokugawa Ieyoshi's attention in Japan.

The actual war would be caused over an issue in Guangzhou which involved the desecration of a temple near Kowloon and the murder of Jin How in the vicinity . Because China did not have a jury trial system, the British government would demand that the sailors be tried in Britain, and not in China. The sailors would be tried under British authorities without Qing's input or representation. Because of this, the Qing government would demand that further trade would not be allowed unless they signed a bond, under penalty of death, promising not to smuggle opium, to agree to follow Chinese laws, and acknowledged Qing legal jurisdiction.

The British would send the Royal Saxon to Guangzhou but it would be fired upon, thus beginning the First Opium war in China. The Chinese would be outclassed in every way and by 1842 they would lose control over the Yangtze River and Shanghai, forcing them to submit to the United Kingdom.

Picture4.jpg

Chinese soldiers killed in the First Opium War​

The Chinese would have to sign the Treaty of Nanking since there was no hope of winning the war. The treaty would be one of first “unequal” treaties that the Chinese would have to sign and it would include ceding Hong Kong to Britain and the opening of the following ports to trade: Guangzhou, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Ningbo, and Shanghai. The Chinese would also have to send Britain 21 million ounces of silver for compensation, give extraterritoriality to British citizens on Chinese soil, give “Most Favored Nation” status to Britain, and have fixed tariffs in trade. China would be for the most part humiliated in the war, and Tokugawa Ieyoshi would realize this and take steps into protecting his country from European aggression in Japan.

To protect Japan from foreign aggression, Tokugawa Ieyoshi would charge Mizuno Tadakuni, his Chief Senior Councilor in the Tokugawa Shogunate, to issue the Tenpo Reforms in Japan in 1841. These reforms would bring change to the military and economic systems, but they were also responsible for cleansing "domestic uneasiness", which led to the arrest of many prominent political figures and writers in Japan. Part of these reforms also included the Agechi-rei which was to have daimyo (The daimyo were clan leaders in various regions of Japan) in the vicinity of Edo and Osaka surrender their holdings for equal amounts of land elsewhere, thereby consolidating Tokugawa control over these strategically vital areas. However, this was to prove greatly unpopular amongst daimyo of all ranks and income levels, and consequently Tadakuni was to lose favor and his position in the government.

Foreign involvement in Japan though would soon find it's way one way or another into the government and it would not be from a major European power such as the British or the French, but by the Dutch in 1842.

DutchLetter.jpg

The Dutch send a letter to the Japanese government with an intriguing proposal

The Dutch in the summer of 1842 would send a letter to Japan stating that they recognize Japan's lack of technology and modern thinking and that they could help us achieve modernization. Though the proposal sounded peaceful in nature, Tokugawa Ieyoshi knew that if he accepted this proposal, Japan would lose some of her most principal ancestry laws, and he was not willing to commit himself for that. Japan would modernize her own way, Ieyoshi decided and not let foreigners take over his country. Unfortunately a growing power across the Pacific Ocean would change all of that and force Japan to open it's eyes to the world, whether the people wanted to or not...
 
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Well I'm taking the historical route with the modernization of Japan, but I promise my readers, that everything will go completely ahistortical after the Meiji Restoration.

Right now, I'm just collecting money and viewing the world as I wait, I'll need money to catch up with the European powers when the time comes :D
 
Yes, Japan early on offers a wonderful opportunity to be a spectator.
 
Good to see another Japan AAR around. One word of advice: watch out for Britain. They get cranky every once in a while, and if you aren't ready for it, it can hurt a lot.

Good luck. I'll be keeping up with this one. :)
 
Determination to see the events culminate in the positive for Japan!! Another fine update.
 
Thank you for the feed back everyone, I'll have the next installment ready sometime mid-week.

I will also being to diverge a bit ahistorical for Japan, but the major accounts of Japanese history will be preserved and told :D
 
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Chapter 2: Unforeseen Consequences (1842-1867)

Japan at this time was what one could say “Between a rock and a hard place” due to foreign intrusion and the recent greedy interests of Asia from the European and American powers. Because of the increased tension from alien powers, Tokugawa Ieyoshi would issue his advisors to begin to observe these foreign powers. America by the mid 1800's was still young, and beginning its own industrial revolution in the northern states in particular. Hungry for power and for foreign recognition, the United States of America would formally declare war against Mexico in 1845 because they were the only power which stood in the way for America's “Manifest Destiny”. This destiny is what sparked Ieyoshi's interest since America to Ieyoshi represented a small child trying to establish itself among the old powers. Ieyoshi would concentrate his efforts on America first because of their blind aggression and in order to defeat your enemy, one must understand his enemy first.

US-MexicanWar.jpg
The Mexican-American War​

The United States would launch a two-pronged assault into Mexico using Napoleonic tactics to defeat her enemy. Because of America's recent desire to become industrialized, they would have the upper hand in equipment and manpower which would prove fruitful in this war since its front lines were long and unclear sometimes. The United States would send the bulk of her army to Texas to support the recent uprisings against Mexican rule, and an expeditionary force from the Rocky Mountains to occupy the Colorado River to hamper communications. Mexico would blindingly send most of her army into Oklahoma and be surrounded by the advancing American troops, forcing a premature major engagement.

Aside from a few skirmishes, there would only be one major battle which would be the siege of Monterrey which was the keystone of surrounding the Mexican forces. The American light artillery would prove to be unless in the city due to the stone fortifications. Eventually sheer human wave tactics would overwhelm the valiant Mexican defenders and the city would be in the hands of the American military.


Picture5.jpg
An Artist's Painting of the Battle of Monterrey​

The war would drag on for several years after due to each sides refusal to tend to the logistics of such a large front. However, due to America's recent increased aggression, Britain ceded “British Columbia” to quench America's hunger for land. This could also have been due to the fact that Britain was dealing with a massive uprising in India so in consequence, many troops in Canada were diverted to India to quell the recent rebel insurgents, leaving Canada mostly undefended. Eventually the war would end in an American victory, with Mexico ceding mostly all of its northern territories to the United States.

USA1852.jpg
The New Mexican-American Borders​


During the war, the United States would launch several ships destined to Japan and the resulting meeting of these two nations would change the course of history forever. Arriving on February 6th, 1850, Japanese commoners would describe seeing “Black Ships” in the coastal waters. The ships would be in Edo Bay and it would be found out soon that Commodore Matthew C. Perry would be the commander of these ships that came from the far away continent of North America.

Picture3.jpg
Commodore Matthew C. Perry's ships entering Edo Bay​

The chairman of the senior councilors, Abe Masahiro, met with Tokugawa Ieyoshi to discuss how to deal with the Americans. The Bakufu (The Shogunate in European terms) would be thrown into turmoil at this time, and it would be up to Abe Masahiro to deal with national security though he had no prior experience in this event. Many of the feudal daimyo leaders wanted to go to war with America and likewise, Ieyoshi wanted them out as well, but the senior councilors of which Abe belonged to wanted to compromise with the foreigners.

Picture2.jpg
A Japanese Drawing of the “Black Ships” Docked in Edo Bay​

Lacking consensus, Abe decided to compromise by accepting Perry's demands for opening Japan to foreign trade while also making military preparations. Later that year, the Treaty of Peace and Amity (or Treaty of Kanagawa) opened two ports to American ships seeking provisions, guaranteed good treatment to shipwrecked American sailors, and allowed a United States consul to take up residence in Shimoda, a seaport on the Izu Peninsula, southwest of Edo.

The Bakufu was severely damaged by this incident by compromising with the foreigners. Debate over the government policy was unusual and had engendered public criticism of the Bakufu but finally Japan more open to Western thought, though most of the people at that time would have had rather stayed in isolation.

PerrysMission.jpg
Japan is finally open to the West...​

Soon later, Abe then began to strengthen the regime by ordering Dutch warships and armaments from the Netherlands and building new port defenses. In 1855 a naval training school with Dutch instructors was set up at Nagasaki, and a Western-style military school was established at Edo; by the next year, the government was translating Western books. This was all done to learn from the West and to use this knowledge to protect themselves from imperialism such as what Britain did to China in the previous decade. The United States had forced Japan break their isolation and now, a nation that was over one hundred years behind in technology, was beginning to learn what it was capable of. Though rewards would be great at the end of modernization, the road getting there would be one soaked in blood and Japan would soon face one of the greatest crises any nation dreaded: Civil War.
 
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