Yoshinobu TOKUGAWA, who succeeded Iemochi as head of the TOKUGAWA family, was suspicious whether the bakufu would be loyal to him and refused to assume the position of seii taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the barbarians").
家茂の死後、将軍後見職の徳川慶喜は徳川宗家を相続したが、幕府の自分に対する忠誠を疑ったため、征夷大将軍職への就任を拒んでいた。