Unequal treaties and the need for warships

The unequal treaties followed visits by heavily armed foreign ships and were negotiated under visible coercion. Japan responded by acquiring warships, especially through Dutch connections, because its existing vessels could not deter outside pressure. A government unable to threaten meaningful resistance remained vulnerable to dictated terms. The shogunate also faced a structural problem because its feudal forces were poorly suited to provide both internal order and national defence. Building a centralized army and navy therefore became part of the political struggle over modernization alongside the procurement of better equipment.