Changes

==Rebellion==

==Rebellion==

In February 1877, Saigô and his men heard rumors that the Meiji government was planning an assassination of Saigô. Gathering allies along the way, the Satsuma rebels moved into action, and began to make their way north, with intentions of seizing [[Kumamoto castle]]. Saigô was officially named a rebel by the Meiji government on February 20, and his army of roughly 15,000 former samurai reached Kumamoto two days later. Though they succeeded in destroying many of the castle's major buildings, they were ultimately unsuccessful in taking the castle; their siege of Kumamoto castle was brought to an end by a massive force of Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in early March, but despite suffering as much as 90% losses, Saigô's men continued to fight until September. On September 14, Saigô and the last three hundred of his men finally succumbed, committing [[seppuku|ritual suicide]] rather than be killed by the roughly 50,000 government troops who still faced them.

In February 1877, Saigô and his men heard rumors that the Meiji government was planning an assassination of Saigô. Gathering allies along the way, the Satsuma rebels moved into action, and began to make their way north, with intentions of seizing [[Kumamoto castle]]. Saigô was officially named a rebel by the Meiji government on February 20, and his army of roughly 15,000 former samurai reached Kumamoto two days later, marching on the castle amid the worst snowstorm in some fifty years.<ref>Plaque at site of Saigô's death, Shiroyama, Kagoshima.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/19641624728/sizes/k/]</ref> Though they succeeded in destroying many of the castle's major buildings, they were ultimately unsuccessful in taking the castle; their siege of Kumamoto castle was brought to an end by a massive force of Imperial Japanese Army soldiers in early March, but despite suffering as much as 90% losses, Saigô's men retreated to Kagoshima via Hitoyoshi, Miyazaki, and Nobeoka, and continued to fight until September.

 

On September 14, Saigô and the last three hundred of his men finally succumbed, committing [[seppuku|ritual suicide]] rather than be killed by the roughly 50,000 government troops who still faced them.

The rebellion has been described as the last gasp of the samurai, and as a defining or culminating event in the establishment of [[military conscription]] and of the Imperial Japanese Army.

The rebellion has been described as the last gasp of the samurai, and as a defining or culminating event in the establishment of [[military conscription]] and of the Imperial Japanese Army.