 The prestige and morale of the Tokugawa "bakufu" was seriously weakened, and many "daimyōs" who had remained neutral now declared in favor of the Emperor and offered military support to prove their new loyalties.Even more significantly, the ill-conceived attempt by Tokugawa Yoshinobu to regain control silenced elements within the new imperial government who favored a peaceful resolution to the conflict.Osaka Castle, an important symbol of Tokugawa hegemony over western Japan, fell to Imperial forces.