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Major Cause of the Collapse of Tokugawa Bakufu: Bolitho v. Totman
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Each essay recognizes internal domestic issues as being crucial to the crumbling of the Tokugawa bakufu, as well as the importance of foreign intrusion in initiating change. Harold Bolitho focuses on the internal problems as being the key elements responsible for the collapse of the bakufu, whereas Conrad Totman credits this sociopolitical change to the intrusion of imperialist foreigners on Japanese society. Although, Bolitho makes many good points in analyzing the causes and effects of the authoritative decline in mid-nineteenth century Japan (he observes the financial struggles of many samurai that caused them to lose loyalty to their lords, as well as the similar deteriorating relations that existed between the daimyo and the bakufu), Bolitho’s argument does not give any strong evidence beyond that which Totman also addresses in his own reasoning for the collapse of the bakufu. Bolitho’s argument did not differ greatly from that of Totman; each writer touched on the major factors contributing to the Meiji Restoration—internal turmoil and foreign intrusion.
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