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The military leader of [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] during the waning days of the [[Tokugawa Bakufu|Tokugawa Shogunate]], Saigo played a pivotal role in the restoration of Imperial rule to Japan. While his daimyo, [[Shimazu Hisamitsu]] tended to vacillate on his position regarding supporting the Shogunate or not, Saigo was resolute in his hatred of the [[Tokugawa clan|Tokugawa]] regime and was determined to completely crush Tokugawa power at almost any cost. Saigo was one of [[Sakamoto Ryoma|Sakamoto Ryoma's]] closest allies and friends, but some historians have speculated that he may have had a hand in Ryoma's assassination by leaking the location of Ryoma's hideout to Bakufu officials. The logic behind this speculation is that Saigo deemed that Ryoma would be a formidable roadblock in his plan to crush the Tokugawa. Surprisingly, Saigo went on to become the commander-in-chief of the Meiji army, laying the groundwork for what became the modern Imperial Japanese Army. Saigo left the government in [[1873]] and died leading the [[Satsuma Rebellion]] against the government he helped to establish.

The military leader of [[Satsuma province|Satsuma]] during the waning days of the [[Tokugawa Bakufu|Tokugawa Shogunate]], Saigo played a pivotal role in the restoration of Imperial rule to Japan. While his daimyo, [[Shimazu Hisamitsu]] tended to vacillate on his position regarding supporting the Shogunate or not, Saigo was resolute in his hatred of the [[Tokugawa clan|Tokugawa]] regime and was determined to completely crush Tokugawa power at almost any cost. Saigo was one of [[Sakamoto Ryoma|Sakamoto Ryoma's]] closest allies and friends, but some historians have speculated that he may have had a hand in Ryoma's assassination by leaking the location of Ryoma's hideout to Bakufu officials. The logic behind this speculation is that Saigo deemed that Ryoma would be a formidable roadblock in his plan to crush the Tokugawa. Surprisingly, Saigo went on to become the commander-in-chief of the Meiji army, laying the groundwork for what became the modern Imperial Japanese Army. Saigo left the government in [[1873]] and died leading the [[Satsuma Rebellion]] against the government he helped to establish.