French Military Mission to Japan (1872-1880)
Encyclopedia
The 1872–1880 French Military Mission to Japan was the second French military mission to that country. It followed the first French Military Mission to Japan (1867-1868), which had ended with the Boshin War
and the establishment of the rule of Emperor Meiji
.
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
against the now-reigning Emperor Meiji
during the Boshin war
. Furthermore, France had lost some of its military prestige, due to its defeat during the Franco-Prussian war
.
Nevertheless, France still retained some attractiveness for Japan. This was expressed by the Japanese foreign minister Iwakura Tomomi
during his visit (the Iwakura mission
) to France in 1873:
The mission arrived in Japan in May 1872, headed by lieutenant-colonel Charles Antoine Marquerie (1824–1894). He was later replaced by colonel Charles Claude Munier.
The mission was composed of 9 officers, 14 non-commissionned officers, a music chief (Gustave Désiré Dragon), a veterinarian
, and two craftsmen. A famous member of the mission was Louis Kreitmann (1851–1914), an army engineer and captain ("Capitaine du Génie"). Louis Kreitmann would later become director of the prestigious École Polytechnique
. Kreitmann took about 500 photographs, which are now held at the Institut des Hautes Études Japonaises (Collège de France
), Paris.
The members of the mission were hired through 3 year contracts, with monthly salaries from 150 to 400 yen (for comparison, at the time the salary of the Japanese Prime Minister was 500 yen, and a newly graduated school teacher would receive 5 yen monthly).
, and establish the first draft law, enacted in January 1873. The law established military service
for all males, for a duration of 3 years, with an additional 4 years in the reserve.
The French mission was essentially active at the Ueno
Military School for non-commissioned officers. Between 1872 to 1880, various schools and military establishments were set up under the direction of the mission, including:
Between 1874 and the end of their term, the mission was put in charge of building Japan's coastal defenses.
The mission occurred at the time of a tense internal situation in Japan, with the revolt of Saigo Takamori
in the Satsuma rebellion
, and contributed significantly to the modernization of Imperial forces before the conflict.
Some members of the mission also endeavoured to learn Japanese martial arts
: Villaret and Kiehl were members of the dojo
of Sakakibara Kenkichi, a master of Jikishin Kage Ryu, a form of swordsmanship (Kenjutsu
), making them some of the first western students of Japanese martial arts.
would take place with five men, but Japan also involved Germany for military advice from 1886 to 1889.
Around that time however, France gained considerable influence over the Imperial Japanese Navy
, with the despatch of the engineer Louis-Émile Bertin
, who directed the design and construction of Japan's first large-scale modern Navy from 1886.
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
and the establishment of the rule of Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
.
Preliminaries
The formation of a second military mission to Japan was rather a surprise, as the first French Military Mission had sided with the ShogunShogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
against the now-reigning Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
during the Boshin war
Boshin War
The was a civil war in Japan, fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and those seeking to return political power to the imperial court....
. Furthermore, France had lost some of its military prestige, due to its defeat during the Franco-Prussian war
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
.
Nevertheless, France still retained some attractiveness for Japan. This was expressed by the Japanese foreign minister Iwakura Tomomi
Iwakura Tomomi
was a Japanese statesman in the Meiji period. The former 500 Yen banknote issued by the Bank of Japan carried his portrait.-Early life:Iwakura was born in Kyoto as the second son of a low-ranking courtier and nobleman . In 1836 he was adopted by another nobleman, , from whom he received his family...
during his visit (the Iwakura mission
Iwakura mission
The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy was a Japanese diplomatic journey around the world, initiated in 1871 by the oligarchs of the Meiji period. Although it was not the only such "mission", it is the most well-known and possibly most important for the modernization of Japan after a long period...
) to France in 1873:
- "The Minister for Foreign Affairs of the MikadoEmperor of JapanThe Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
(Iwakura) said to our representative after our fatal combat against Germany: "We know about the sufferance France had to go through in this war, but it has not changed anything in our opinion on the merits of the French army, which showed great courage in the face of numerically superior troops""
The Mission
The mission was composed of 9 officers, 14 non-commissionned officers, a music chief (Gustave Désiré Dragon), a veterinarian
Veterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
, and two craftsmen. A famous member of the mission was Louis Kreitmann (1851–1914), an army engineer and captain ("Capitaine du Génie"). Louis Kreitmann would later become director of the prestigious École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
. Kreitmann took about 500 photographs, which are now held at the Institut des Hautes Études Japonaises (Collège de France
Collège de France
The Collège de France is a higher education and research establishment located in Paris, France, in the 5th arrondissement, or Latin Quarter, across the street from the historical campus of La Sorbonne at the intersection of Rue Saint-Jacques and Rue des Écoles...
), Paris.
The members of the mission were hired through 3 year contracts, with monthly salaries from 150 to 400 yen (for comparison, at the time the salary of the Japanese Prime Minister was 500 yen, and a newly graduated school teacher would receive 5 yen monthly).
Activities
The task of the mission was to help reorganize the Imperial Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
, and establish the first draft law, enacted in January 1873. The law established military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
for all males, for a duration of 3 years, with an additional 4 years in the reserve.
The French mission was essentially active at the Ueno
Ueno
Ueno can refer to a number of places in Japan:*Ueno, Mie: a former city in Mie Prefecture, now part of the city of Iga*Ueno, Gunma: a village in Gunma Prefecture:*Ueno, Okinawa: a village in Okinawa Prefecture:...
Military School for non-commissioned officers. Between 1872 to 1880, various schools and military establishments were set up under the direction of the mission, including:
- Establishment of the Toyama Gakko, the first school to train and educate officers and noncommissioned officers.
- A shooting school, using French rifles.
- An arsenal for gun and munition manufacture, equipped with French machinery, and employing 2500 workers.
- ArtilleryArtilleryOriginally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
batteries in the suburbs of Tokyo. - A gunpowderGunpowderGunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
factory. - A Military Academy for Army officers in IchigayaIchigayaIchigaya is an area in the eastern portion of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.-Places in Ichigaya:*Hosei University Ichigaya Campus*Chuo University Graduate School...
, inaugurated in 1875, on the ground of today's Japan Ministry of Defense.
Between 1874 and the end of their term, the mission was put in charge of building Japan's coastal defenses.
The mission occurred at the time of a tense internal situation in Japan, with the revolt of Saigo Takamori
Saigo Takamori
was one of the most influential samurai in Japanese history, living during the late Edo Period and early Meiji Era. He has been dubbed the last true samurai.-Early life:...
in the Satsuma rebellion
Satsuma Rebellion
The was a revolt of Satsuma ex-samurai against the Meiji government from January 29 to September 24, 1877, 9 years into the Meiji Era. It was the last, and the most serious, of a series of armed uprisings against the new government.-Background:...
, and contributed significantly to the modernization of Imperial forces before the conflict.
Some members of the mission also endeavoured to learn Japanese martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
: Villaret and Kiehl were members of the dojo
Dojo
A is a Japanese term which literally means "place of the way". Initially, dōjōs were adjunct to temples. The term can refer to a formal training place for any of the Japanese do arts but typically it is considered the formal gathering place for students of any Japanese martial arts style to...
of Sakakibara Kenkichi, a master of Jikishin Kage Ryu, a form of swordsmanship (Kenjutsu
Kenjutsu
, meaning "the method, or technique, of the sword." This is opposed to kendo, which means the way of the sword. Kenjutsu is the umbrella term for all traditional schools of Japanese swordsmanship, in particular those that predate the Meiji Restoration...
), making them some of the first western students of Japanese martial arts.
Legacy
A third French Military Mission to Japan (1884-1889)French Military Mission to Japan (1884-1889)
The 1884 French Military Mission to Japan was the third French military mission to that country and consisted of 5 men.It followed two earlier missions, the first French Military Mission to Japan , and the second French Military Mission to Japan , which had a considerable role in shaping the new...
would take place with five men, but Japan also involved Germany for military advice from 1886 to 1889.
Around that time however, France gained considerable influence over the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
, with the despatch of the engineer Louis-Émile Bertin
Louis-Émile Bertin
Louis-Émile Bertin was a French naval engineer, one of the foremost of his time, and a proponent of the "Jeune École" philosophy of using light, but powerfully armed warships instead of large battleships.-Early life:...
, who directed the design and construction of Japan's first large-scale modern Navy from 1886.
Some other members of the mission
- Armand Pierre André Echeman (April 11, 1872 – January 18, 1875). Infantry Captain (military exercises, shooting, physical training, and theory).
- Joseph Auguste Cros (April 11, 1872 – February 29, 1876) Infantry Sublieutenant (military exercises, shooting, physical training and theory).
- François Joseph Ducros (May 26, – April 10, 1877) Infantry Sergeant (instruction in physical training).
- Alexandre Étienne Bouguin (October 29, 1875 – December 31, 1879) Infantry Lieutenant (shooting theory).
- Joseph Kiehl (September 27, 1884 – July 24, 1887). Master-at-Arms and Marshal of the Logis (teacher of physical training and swordsmanship)
- Étienne de Villaret (October 29, 1884 – October 28, 1887). Lieutenant (strategy, shooting theory and technique).
- Henri Berthaut (hired on October 29, 1884) Lieutenant (Administration of the Mission, timetable of courses). Rehired on October 29, 1886.
- Henri Lefèbvre (September 25, 1887 – January 26, 1889) Infantry Captain (strategy, shooting, theory of physical exercise).