Satsuma and Choshu domains, together with Tosa and Saga domains, advocated the 'anti-shogunate movement' based on the 'antiforeign imperialism' insisting that the treaties with the Western powers, which were concluded against the imperial order, should not be accepted in the first place and that foreigners should be expelled out of Japan, and placating those who were about to resort to force for the cause of exclusionism, these domains tried to unite exclusionism with the imperialism on the supremacy of the emperor.
薩長は、土佐藩、佐賀藩をも巻き込み、開国以来の違勅条約に対する反対論と外国人排撃を主張、実行に移そうとする「攘夷」を、国学の進展などにより江戸時代後期から広がっていた国家元首問題としての尊王論とを結びつけ、「尊皇攘夷」を旗頭に「倒幕」の世論を形成していった。