Aizu War - Aizu Senso

A war that took place in late August to late September 1868 (Meiji 1) in which the Ouetsu Reppan Alliance Army, the main force of the Aizu clan, clashed with the new government forces, centering around Aizu-Wakamatsu. It was one of the wars in the Boshin War. After the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in January 1868, the Meiji government issued an order to hunt down Tokugawa Yoshinobu, Matsudaira Katamori, the lord of the Aizu clan, and Matsudaira Sadaaki, the lord of the Kuwana clan, as enemies of the court. Matsudaira Katamori, who had a history of suppressing anti-Shogunate patriots as Kyoto Shugoshoku, saw it inevitable that he would be attacked by the government forces, and decided to fight back. He returned to Aizu, allied with the Shonai clan, and prepared to fight back, and in May the Ouetsu Reppan Alliance was formed. The government forces' advance into the Tohoku region became more vigorous from May onwards, and the war situation gradually turned unfavorable for the Alliance of the Satsuma and Choshu Clans. Between August and September, Yonezawa and Sendai surrendered to the government forces, the Alliance of the Satsuma and Choshu Clans was dissolved, and Aizu-Wakamatsu became the largest base of resistance. On August 23, the government forces commanded by Itagaki Taisuke advanced to Wakamatsu Castle, and after a month of fierce fighting, Aizu fell and Katamori surrendered. This was the tragic story of the Byakkotai. With this, the Boshin War was essentially over, and the Tohoku region came under the control of the new government.

[Inoue Isao]

"The Boshin War" by Kiyoshi Haraguchi (1963, Hanawa Shobo)" ▽ "The Civil War of the Meiji Restoration" by Takashi Ishii (1968, Shiseido) ▽ "Portraits of the Meiji Era 2: The Boshin War" edited by Yoichiro Murakami (1968, Sanichi Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

1868年（明治1）8月下旬～9月末、会津若松を中心に、会津藩主力の奥羽越(おううえつ)列藩同盟軍と新政府軍が衝突した戦争。戊辰(ぼしん)戦争のなかの一戦争。1868年正月の鳥羽伏見(とばふしみ)の戦いののち、維新政府は徳川慶喜(よしのぶ)、会津藩主松平容保(かたもり)、桑名藩主松平定敬(さだあき)らを朝敵として追討令を下した。松平容保は京都守護職として反幕府派志士の弾圧にあたった経歴から政府軍の攻撃を受けることは必至とみて、抗戦を決意。会津に帰藩し、庄内(しょうない)藩と同盟して抗戦の準備を進め、5月には奥羽越列藩同盟が結成された。政府軍の東北進攻は5月以降活発となり、戦局はしだいに列藩同盟軍に不利となった。8月から9月にかけて米沢(よねざわ)、仙台が政府軍に降伏、列藩同盟は解体して、抗戦最大の拠点は会津若松となった。8月23日板垣退助が指揮する政府軍は若松城下に進撃、1か月にわたる激戦ののち、会津は落城、容保は降伏した。白虎隊(びゃっこたい)の悲劇はこのときのことである。これによって戊辰戦争はほぼ終了し、東北は新政府の支配下に入った。

［井上　勲］

『原口清著『戊辰戦争』（1963・塙書房）』▽『石井孝著『維新の内乱』（1968・至誠堂）』▽『村上陽一郎編『明治の群像 2　戊辰戦争』（1968・三一書房）』

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