The anti-shogunate alliance was a coalition of convenience held together by fear of Yoshinobu and by foreign interests. After victory, Satsuma influence became especially strong in the navy while Choshu influence became strong in the army. Their domain rivalry survived inside institutions presented as unified national services. That inheritance fed later competition between the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy and factional politics around the emperor. The Boshin War therefore shaped both who ruled Japan and how its modern armed forces divided authority and loyalty.
Notable Point · 47:40-51:03
Satsuma and Choshu loyalties shape the armed forces
The coalition that overthrew the shogunate left Satsuma dominant in the navy and Choshu in the army, embedding regional rivalry in modern Japanese institutions.