Evaluate the reasons for the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1868.

Candidates will appraise reasons for the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate by weighing up the significance of long- and short-term factors. Candidates may adopt a chronological approach that outlines the nature of Tokugawa society prior to 1853 and then the consequences of the treaties and events between 1854 and 1868. Alternatively, candidates may choose a thematic approach and address aspects such as economic problems, the decline of the feudal system, the rise of the tozama clans, political challenges to the Shogunate and the impact of foreign demands. Some candidates may argue that reasons for the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate were inherent while others may consider the catalyst of Perry’s arrival more significant.