The Republic of Ezo was a short-lived state established on the Japanese island of Hokkaido on 27 January 1869 during the Boshin War. The republic was founded by former Tokugawa Shogunate military officials such as Admiral Enomoto Takeaki, who became the leader of the republic. The Ezo Republic had an army of several thousand troops, supervised by French Army officer Jules Brunet and several of his colleagues. The defenses of the island (especially those around the capital of Hakodate) were fortified, and the army was commanded by Otori Keisuke and Brunet, with each of the army's four brigades being commanded by a French officer. The republic implemented universal suffrage among the samurai class, and Enomoto was elected president in the first election ever held in Japan. In April 1869, 7,000 Japanese troops invaded the Ezo Republic, and they decisively defeated the Ezo forces in the Battle of Hakodate before besieging the fortress of Goryokaku. Enomoto was forced to surrender, and Satsuma Domain officer Kuroda Kiyotaka decided to spare him from execution, as he was impressed by Enomoto's dedication.
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