Hakodate was the final phase of a civil war between a reforming shogunate and forces acting in the emperor's name. Both camps sought modernization, but they disagreed over who would control it and how power would be organized around the emperor. Factions publicly hostile to foreign influence relied on foreign weapons, then sent leaders to study the West. The shogunate drew heavily on French support, while Britain backed the southern coalition that displaced it. This background helps explain why the conflict became central to Japan's transition into a modern state.
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Hakodate as the Boshin War's final phase
The Battle of Hakodate closes the Boshin War, a struggle over how Japan would modernize and who would control that transformation.