The Bakufu forestalled them by conducting Taisei Hokan (transfer of power back to the Emperor), but the shogun was forced to conduct Jikan-nochi (returning of all government posts and territories), and the old shogunate army that was discontented about that, and then collided with the Imperial army in the Battle of Toba-Fushimi, and the civil war began.
幕府はその機先を制して大政奉還を行ったが、将軍は「辞官納地」（全ての官職と領地の返上）を強要され、それに不満の旧幕府軍は鳥羽伏見の戦いで官軍と衝突し、内戦となった。