AHC : British Kyushu/Japan

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Your challenge ladies and gentlemen, is to have the island of Kyushu (the southernmost part of the main Japanese island chain) be subservient to the British Crown.

The aim is to do this before the Bakumatsu period, but feel free to use that period if you want.

Bonus points if you can make it the whole of Japan.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
My first thought is to reverse the course of the Boshin War - have the Shogunate win, pushing down from the north, the Emperor captured and some of the Imperialist samurai promulgate a Kyushu Republic.
Unlike the Ezo Republic, this one manages to get protection from the British in time and an attempt at a crossing is repulsed (by HMS Repulse among others? :p) leading to a tricky peace with British protection of Kyushu and a restored, modernized Shogunate controlling the rest of Japan (and not happy!).

...that work?
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
My first thought is to reverse the course of the Boshin War - have the Shogunate win, pushing down from the north, the Emperor captured and some of the Imperialist samurai promulgate a Kyushu Republic.
Unlike the Ezo Republic, this one manages to get protection from the British in time and an attempt at a crossing is repulsed (by HMS Repulse among others? :p) leading to a tricky peace with British protection of Kyushu and a restored, modernized Shogunate controlling the rest of Japan (and not happy!).

...that work?

Works, but I see an unpleasant war in the future! With significant demographic advantages for the Shogunate. It would really test if Britain did truly "Rule the Waves"

I wonder if Kyushu would have a huge population density in a similar vein to Hong Kong in such a scenario, with all the ex-Imperials fleeing to Kyushu, and the Japanese migrating to the area.

Unless of course Britain brokers two protectorates. If the British had substantially more power in Kyushu/broke the Republic you could see a huge cultural shift in Kyushu as British citizens/Indians/Africans immigrated.
 
The Namamugi Incident somehow results in a war between the whole of Japan and the British Empire. The Japanese get stomped and the British get some territory in the peace deal.
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
The Namamugi Incident somehow results in a war between the whole of Japan and the British Empire. The Japanese get stomped and the British get some territory in the peace deal.

See, I could see this happening if Britain was a little arrogant/the man in charge was a bit more zealous and landed in Satsuma, and forced Satsuma Domain into vassalage, or flat out annexing them into the Empire. That would piss the Tokugowa Shogunate right off.

Who would be mental enough to bring Sepoys to Japan? :D
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Heck, I want it as a mod for Total War (Fall of the Samurai).

Fall of the Samurai : British Invasion.

"Prepare for the Sepoy hordes of the British Army as the Policeman of the World comes to bring the Boshin War to a rapid conclusion. The Imperial and Shogunate forces must fight side by side to prevent the 'Wooden Wall' from encircling Japan. Forever removing the title of Emperor from our shores."

(Cue Japanese flag with poorly photoshopped/rounded Union Jack replacing the red dot, carried by wave after wave of Sepoys and British soldiers).

"Or will you fight as the British under Sir Robert Napier, enforcing stability on the Japanese islands, and fight for British Honour! It will be a hard job, whilst reinforcements are coming, it will be local resources that pay for this expedition. Can the Royal Navy, Indian Sepoys, and Kirishitan Samurai bring peace under a new, British Shogunate?"

Amusingly, writing this, the Tokugowa Shogunate may start at war with Britain, but may eventually surrender and work with Britain if they were assured power. The Emperor is the only person who has everything to lose here, it would be the end of the Chrysanthemum Throne, or at least, no Japanese person would sit in it until independence.

And at the end of the war, with peace assured, a new crowning ceremony in Kyoto, where the terrifying words are spoken as Queen Vic rises from the Chrysanthemum Throne.

"All rise in the name of Queen Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom, Empress of India, and Empress of Japan."

(and then the throne is shipped to Britain, where like the Elgin stones, it hasn't a chance of leaving the British Museum)
 
"All rise in the name of Queen Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom, Empress of India, and Empress of Japan."

Nah man, let's go full out.

"All rise in the name of Queen Victoria - Queen of the United Kingdom, Empress of India, and the Heavenly Sovereign of Japan."
FTFY
:D
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Zadok-san the priest and Nathan-san the prophet annointed Elizabeth-chan...


okay, I'm cringing too much to keep going.


Anyway.

The weak version of this thread is a kind of parallel of the Ezo Republic, with British protection.
The strong version is Victoria, Imperator of the Indians, the Japanese and the Britons.
An empire built on tea.
 
Zadok-san the priest and Nathan-san the prophet annointed Elizabeth-chan...


okay, I'm cringing too much to keep going.


Anyway.

The weak version of this thread is a kind of parallel of the Ezo Republic, with British protection.
The strong version is Victoria, Imperator of the Indians, the Japanese and the Britons.
An empire built on tea.

The only ones who can contend with the British now are the heaviest Coffee-drinkers: meet the Franco-American union!!
 

Saphroneth

Banned
"We have our honour."
"We have the Snider."



"Fourth Gurkha rifles! You will hold!"
*crackle of aimed rifle fire, grunts, holes plucked in the banner. The samurai cavalry ahead deploy into line, masking their skirmishers*
"First rank ready! Aim! Fire!"
*crash of a volley, the deadly beauty of the lance coming apart in a tumble of horses and men...*


"We cannot hold here. Nowhere within range of the shore is safe."
"Osaka castle will not fall again. Not to the Biritishu gaijin."
*man runs in*
"Sails sighted!"
*advisor sighs*
"Warrior is here. I'd advise leaving."



"What is it?"
"It's called the Nordenfelt."
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
Eh, this sound daft, potentially bonkers, but if anyone can consider themselves particularly knowledgable about the Bakumatsu Period in Japan, and this period of British history, with a bit of advice I'd find this a fascinating timeline to write/contribute to.

Either that or we can just write a script for the ATL Last Samurai, that works too :p
 
There are several reason Japan was never colonized;

1. It makes zero economic sense to do so (the British Empire was very much founded on economics) as Japan has no natural resources and they could sell to the Japanese market without needing to outright invade and conquer it (which would cost alot more than it would be worth).

2. Japan is geographically a very difficult place to invade and/or conquer.

3. Japan was a unified Nation-State, and even during the times where it was'nt fully unified, the various peoples and Daimyo's still viewed themselves as Japanese and would come together to fight a common enemy.


At best you could get a Hong Kong situation where a small city and adjacent area has been ceded to Britain, maybe even Dejima itself
 
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Saphroneth

Banned
There are several reason Japan was never colonized;

1. It makes zero economic sense to do so (the British Empire was very much founded on economics) as Japan has no natural resources and they could sell to the Japanese market without needing to outright invade and conquer it (which would cost alot more than it would be worth).

2. Japan is geographically a very difficult place to divide and/or conquer.

3. Japan was a unified Nation-State, and even during the times where it was'nt fully unified, the various peoples and Daimyo's still viewed themselves as Japanese and would come together to fight a common enemy.


At best you could get a Hong Kong situation where a small city and adjacent area has been ceded to Britain, maybe even Dejima itself
Which is why the weak version of the thread makes more actual sense.
Basically this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ezo

but in the south.
 

Saphroneth

Banned
Incidentally... HMS Devastation? Or is she a bit late for this setup?
Be fun to have "the most powerful warship in the world"... as she'd be for a decade and a half (!)
 
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