Chief of the Army - Rikugun Sosai

This was the title of the Edo Shogunate position that had overall control over the affairs of the Army during the late Edo period. In the Shogunate's military reform plan of 1862 (Bunkyu 2), the Chief of the Army was placed second only to the Chief of the Navy, but the Navy reform plan was not realized and the Chief of the Army was established on December 18 of the same year. This was higher than the Army Magistrate who was in charge of the three military forces (infantry, cavalry, and artillery), and Hachisuka Narihiro (Lord of Awa Domain) was appointed to this position. From December 1866 (Keio 2), Matsudaira (Ogyu) Noritaka (Lord of Tanokuchi Domain, Shinano) who was a senior councilor, took on the role concurrently, and in January 1868, Katsu Yoshikuni (Kaishu) took over from the Magistrate of Warships, and in April of the same year, he resigned and the position was abolished.

[Akira Tanaka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

幕末期、陸軍の事務を総轄した江戸幕府の職名。1862年（文久2）の幕府の軍制改革案では、海軍総裁に次ぐ第二位に置かれていたが、海軍改革案は実現せず、陸軍総裁が同年12月18日設置された。これは三兵（歩・騎・砲）を統轄した陸軍奉行(ぶぎょう)の上位にあり、蜂須賀斉裕(はちすかなりひろ)（阿波(あわ)藩主）が任じられた。66年（慶応2）12月からは老中格松平（大給(おぎゅう)）乗謨(のりたか)（信濃(しなの)田野口(たのくち)藩主）が兼任し、68年一月より勝義邦(かつよしくに)（海舟(かいしゅう)）が軍艦奉行から就任、同年4月に辞任、廃止された。

［田中　彰］

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