1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: I'm fair Dowdy and I'm deleted Chuck reboarding and not 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: that long ago, listener Brandon sent us a pretty impressive 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:23,079 Speaker 1: list of East Asian history topics. I mean it really 6 00:00:23,079 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: covered everything from feudal Japan to twentieth century Chinese history. 7 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: But one topic in particular really appealed to me because 8 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: in a way, it picks up where we left off 9 00:00:34,320 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: on an earlier episode, the one about Admiral Ye of 10 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: Korea and his impressive turtle ships, and if you remember 11 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:46,040 Speaker 1: in that podcast, Admiral Ye's tactical genius and advanced technology. 12 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:50,279 Speaker 1: Those iron clad ships, if you'll remember, helped repel not 13 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: one but two Japanese invasions in the fifteen nineties. Not 14 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: long after Ye's victory at the Roaring Channel, the Japanese 15 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: began a slow retreat, one sped up considerably in when 16 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:07,080 Speaker 1: Toyo told me Hideyoshi, one of Japan's great unifiers and 17 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 1: the mastermind of that invasion, died suddenly, leaving only a 18 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 1: very young son and a bunch of regents. So anybody 19 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: who was anybody in Japan wanted to be back home 20 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: at that point. They wanted to be ready and in 21 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:24,399 Speaker 1: place for whatever power grab was inevitably about to happen. 22 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: But before we get into that moment when they're trying 23 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: to figure out who is going to control Japan while 24 00:01:31,160 --> 00:01:34,119 Speaker 1: this little boy is coming of age, it might really 25 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,200 Speaker 1: help to have a refresher on the work that Hideyoshi 26 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: had already done to unify the country before he died 27 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 1: so suddenly, and sixteenth century Japan, as you might remember 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: from the earlier podcast, was just a mess of civil 29 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 1: wars between these powerful feudal lords called daimios, and Hideyoshi, 30 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: who had been born a peasant in fifteen thirty six, 31 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: eventually rose to the really powerful position of henchman for 32 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 1: Oda Nobunaga, who was the first of the great Unifiers 33 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: and Japan's de facto ruler. So when Nobunaga died, he 34 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: d O she succeeded him as ruler. He couldn't take 35 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,240 Speaker 1: the title of showgun because of his birth and was 36 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:19,519 Speaker 1: instead called regent. But once in charge Hee O, she 37 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: set about trying to unify the country, and Korean invasions 38 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: were actually sort of an attempt to do just that. 39 00:02:26,320 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: I guess the logic being if you're fighting someone else, 40 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: maybe you're not fighting each other, or at least not 41 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: so much. But as we already know, hed O she 42 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: died suddenly in the middle of the second invasions, leaving 43 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 1: only a five year old son, toyotolmi Hire. So in 44 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,239 Speaker 1: order to keep power in the family until his son 45 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: came of age, he set up a regency or hed 46 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: O she did rather five warriors who would co rule 47 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 1: and govern the country in the meantime while his son 48 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: was growing up. I mean, as we know from lots 49 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: of podcasts from all sorts of countries, the regent system 50 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: is usually pretty shaky unless the region is somebody's mom 51 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:09,400 Speaker 1: and um, it seemed unlikely that these five powerful men 52 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 1: in the country were gonna be okay, just standing by 53 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: while this boy grew up. The lead regent, Toku gala Iyeyasu, 54 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:21,079 Speaker 1: was another one of these self made warrior types, kind 55 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,359 Speaker 1: of like Hideyoshi, who, surprisingly enough though had once been 56 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: Hideyoshi's enemy. So it's time to get into his story 57 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: because he's going to prove to be the main regent 58 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: coming out of this myth. So just a little bit 59 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: of background on him. Tokagala Ieyasu was born in fifteen 60 00:03:39,200 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: forty three, really in the middle of all those civil 61 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:45,480 Speaker 1: wars that we mentioned. It showed too with his early upbringing. 62 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: When he was two years old, his mother permanently separated 63 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: from his father after shifting allegiances changed feelings between their 64 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: two families, and then when he was four, he was 65 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: sent away as hostage to the Immigawa family, and on 66 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: his way they or he was kidnapped by their arrivals, 67 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: the Oda family. He was kept for two years with 68 00:04:05,200 --> 00:04:08,400 Speaker 1: the Oda family before being released to the Imagawa where 69 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: he received military training and took up falconry. So being 70 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: released from your kidnapping family to do the hostage family exactly. 71 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,880 Speaker 1: But he did have a pretty important presence with his 72 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 1: hostage family, at least because by his late teens he 73 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:25,039 Speaker 1: had become a military leader for the head of the family. 74 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: But he hadn't completely forgotten his own people either, because 75 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: in fifteen sixty, when the head of the Immagawa family 76 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: was killed in battle, i Yasu took the chance to 77 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: leave them, get out of there, make sure his wife 78 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:41,359 Speaker 1: and his son could get out too, and returned to 79 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 1: his own castle and take up the duties as head 80 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: of his clan, because by this point that was his position, 81 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: and he really worked with a lot of He worked 82 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 1: in a lot of ways to re establish himself with 83 00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 1: his family. He not only fortified his own domains building 84 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: at the army's but he also reformed laws and tax 85 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: codes and expanded his domains too, so that by the 86 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: early fifteen eighties he was one of the country's most 87 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: important daimyo. So it's probably not too surprising then that 88 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,800 Speaker 1: when Hideyoshi took up his old patron Nobunaga's power, i 89 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: Yasu was kind of his main rival, the other most 90 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:23,679 Speaker 1: powerful guy in the land right. Finally, though, the two 91 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: came to an agreement Ieyasu's fealty in exchange for maintaining 92 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: control of his own lands. Still, though, Eyas who kept 93 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 1: his distance from Hueyoshi, he shifted his base to the 94 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: fishing village of edo Net which is now Tokyo, which, 95 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: according to Encyclopedia Britannica, was a whole month's trip away 96 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: from Hideyoshi's headquarters in Kyoto, So he didn't want to 97 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 1: be anywhere near Hideyoshi, but he also kept his nose 98 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: out of all this Korean expedition, saying pretty busy at home, 99 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: so that when Hideyoshi died in I, Yasu was basically 100 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,599 Speaker 1: the most powerful guy in Japan, with these huge armies 101 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: and an excellent infrastructure and excellent organizational system too in 102 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,360 Speaker 1: his land. So he doesn't seem exactly like the type 103 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: who would be cool just hanging out as regent and 104 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: um not trying to get a little more power. So 105 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,359 Speaker 1: Yeyasu began pretty quickly doing things that didn't look that 106 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: appropriate for a regent. He married off like his nine 107 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: sons and daughters to all these other powerful lords in 108 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:31,920 Speaker 1: the land to create very strong alliances. But he met 109 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: with a challenger to he wasn't the only the only 110 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: person who had his his eye on getting some more 111 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 1: power out of the situation exactly, And that person who 112 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: challenged him was Lord Ishida Mitsunati, twenty years younger than 113 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 1: Yasu and more of an official than a warrior. Mitsunati 114 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: had been Dyoshi's inspector general. He was a stiff bureaucrat, 115 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: good with numbers, but he hadn't made a great impression 116 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: on quite a few Damio. Though. Mitsunati wasn't himself on 117 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,640 Speaker 1: the regency council. He quickly started stirring up trouble among 118 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: the lords in an attempt to better his position. His 119 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: interference angered some of the Yasus, and then though angered 120 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:12,640 Speaker 1: them enough actually that they wanted to have him executed, 121 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: but Yasu spared him. He did, but by the next year, 122 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 1: Mitsunari was really kind of right back at it, and 123 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,560 Speaker 1: he had teamed up with one of the other regents, 124 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: Usugi Kaka Katsu. And of all of the alliances Mitsunari 125 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: could have made, this was a really, really dangerous one 126 00:07:29,720 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: for Ieyasu because his lands abutted those of Kaka Katsu, 127 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: and that meant that Ato, his home base where he 128 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 1: put in so much of his effort, was at serious risk. 129 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:43,400 Speaker 1: I Yasu, though, of course, was not going to make 130 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 1: this power grab without allies of his own, and he 131 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: had a pretty good one on his side, dat Massumane, 132 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: who was called the one Eyed Dragon. He had lost 133 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 1: an eye to smallpox as a child, and Massamane helped 134 00:07:56,360 --> 00:08:00,400 Speaker 1: check Kaka Katsu and seized his castle. During this period 135 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: when both of the armies were just picking off castles 136 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 1: and fortresses in an attempt to try to control two 137 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: main roads on Japan's main island. So one road that 138 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: was in the east between Kyoto and Ato, and the 139 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: other in the west that went through the mountains. I mean, 140 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,160 Speaker 1: it is compared sometimes to a game of chest this period, 141 00:08:20,200 --> 00:08:22,680 Speaker 1: and you can really get that fence, you know, picking 142 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: off the castles in a game. Some of these battles 143 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,239 Speaker 1: along the way were really big ones. Thousands were killed, 144 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: for instance in the August sixteen hundred siege of Fushimi Castle, 145 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: but that was really nothing compared to the main attraction, 146 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: which was a final showdown between a Yasu and Mitsunati 147 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: at Segakihara, a tiny but strategically located crossroads village. On 148 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: October seventh, six hundred, Eyasi left Edo with thirty thousand men. 149 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: By the twenty his men had taken Ogaki Castle, but 150 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: got word that Mitsunati was moving towards Segakihara, a narrow 151 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 1: pass and an important crossroads. Then at two am, Yeyasu, 152 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 1: now with seventy five thousand men, went out to meet Mittunati, 153 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:08,800 Speaker 1: who had combined who had a combined force, I should say, 154 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: of about eighty thousand men. So according to an article 155 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: on the battle by John Murphy Jr. In Military history. 156 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:20,160 Speaker 1: The two armies, Ayasu's Eastern Army and mit scenaris Western Army, 157 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: met at about four am, and mit Scenari was ready 158 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: to go then ready for an all out night battle, 159 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,599 Speaker 1: but he had the idea of veto by his strategist, 160 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,440 Speaker 1: who thought that night battles were just for undergodogs. And 161 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:35,360 Speaker 1: you know, mit Scenari did have more troops and the 162 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: Western army really was thought to have the advantage here, 163 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 1: So instead mit Scenari withdrew to a mountain outside the 164 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: village and eeyasu Is set up camp on another mountain. 165 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,480 Speaker 1: But Yas's position was really a lot better because he 166 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: could see the whole valley, and as his men started coming, 167 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: he bunched them really closely together. I thought it was interesting. 168 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: Murphy described the formations as being quote much like a 169 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:02,440 Speaker 1: modern army um, instead of being spread out across the 170 00:10:02,440 --> 00:10:06,319 Speaker 1: whole valley, which is how Mitsunari's men were. But Mitsunati 171 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 1: also had some loyalty issues to be concerned with, pretty 172 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 1: major one. Yeah. I mean, remember how we said that 173 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: he hadn't been popular with the Daimio warriors back in 174 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,000 Speaker 1: his bureaucrat days. We mentioned that a little bit earlier 175 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: of particular concern was kobe Ya Kawahidiaki, a powerful daimiyo 176 00:10:21,880 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: and mits Nati supposed ally so. Mits and I had 177 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: suspected that Heidiaki might be up to no good. Back 178 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 1: in the Korean Wars, mits Andati had criticized Heidiaki's leadership, 179 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,280 Speaker 1: and the result was a major drop in land revenues 180 00:10:35,360 --> 00:10:37,959 Speaker 1: for Heidiyaki. He basically got a big pay cut. He 181 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,359 Speaker 1: had a good reason to have a grudge against Mitcenari 182 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:44,520 Speaker 1: basically right, but Mitsunati couldn't come out and accuse him 183 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: of anything treacherous. Because Hideaki had sixteen thousand men, one 184 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:51,760 Speaker 1: of the largest forces in the Western Army, his suspicions 185 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:56,079 Speaker 1: were on target, though mitsinati suspicions were. Hideaki had secretly 186 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: promised Iasu that he desert and changed sides, something that 187 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: was especially meaningful for ea Sus since Heidiaki was the 188 00:11:03,640 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: guardian of the boy that everybody was pretending to fight 189 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: for in the first place when they were supposed to 190 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: be reagents for exactly, and his name would add legitimacy 191 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: to Ea SU's win. Also, another of Mitsnati's allies was 192 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,560 Speaker 1: planning on ditching him, and that was Kawa hero Ea, 193 00:11:21,200 --> 00:11:24,160 Speaker 1: and he was planning on leaving with his three thousand men, 194 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: something that Mittinati never knew about or suspected he was. 195 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,720 Speaker 1: That he didn't know to be worried about him. Fighting 196 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,000 Speaker 1: started pretty early in the morning and after they had 197 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: delayed the night battle. But there was really heavy fog 198 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: and it produced a tense atmosphere before battle actually began 199 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,880 Speaker 1: because both sides could hear each other getting ready, you know, 200 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: drying out their clothes, getting their armor on, but they 201 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:51,400 Speaker 1: couldn't actually see them. Eas's ally in Almafa led the 202 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: charge though with his red armored Red Devil cavalry. I 203 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: mean they were you can look look at pictures of 204 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: them and they're pretty scary, but they're sudden. Charge was 205 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:03,880 Speaker 1: actually not cool with the guys on the same side, 206 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,000 Speaker 1: on the Eastern Army side, because leading the charge was 207 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: considered a very honorable thing to do. Is the other 208 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,800 Speaker 1: daimio in the front just set off too. They started charging, 209 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,240 Speaker 1: and soon enough twenty thousand men were rushing at the 210 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:22,080 Speaker 1: enemy shouting served the nation for seven lives and um, 211 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: I guess to us it sounds really chaotic, kind of 212 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: like not following instructions, not being an orderly army. But 213 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: according to Murphy, it was quote one of the last 214 00:12:31,080 --> 00:12:34,240 Speaker 1: great cavalry charges in the age of the Samurai, and 215 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 1: it certainly had an effect. It certainly shook up the 216 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:40,440 Speaker 1: Western army. Yeah, one of the survivors of the charge 217 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: remembered quote ally and foe pushed against each other. The 218 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 1: musket fire and the shouts echoed from the heavens and 219 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: shook the earth. The black smoke rose, making the day 220 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: as night. But that dramatic charge plus five cannons on 221 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:59,360 Speaker 1: Iasu side didn't actually determine the battle. Two hours later, 222 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 1: at ten a m. It was still anyone's guess as 223 00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 1: to who was gonna win. Yeah, you'd think with Red 224 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:06,839 Speaker 1: Devils the battle would end quickly, but it just seemed 225 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:10,160 Speaker 1: to be going on and on, and fighting carried on 226 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,080 Speaker 1: for another hour and a half after that, and finally 227 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,040 Speaker 1: started to shift to the Western Army's favor. But the 228 00:13:16,160 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: West really needed a strong final push in order to win, 229 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 1: especially because certain Western leaders were not really obeying mit 230 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: Scenari's orders and and not in the way we were 231 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 1: talking about with the Red Devils, like starting a charge 232 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: just flat out not going to fight at all. For instance, 233 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:38,040 Speaker 1: hero Ea, who had of course secretly switched sides, didn't 234 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:41,440 Speaker 1: give the signal he was supposed to to call another 235 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,640 Speaker 1: clan into battle for the west, and when trying to 236 00:13:44,720 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: mobilize the armies of some clans that really hadn't seen 237 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: much action yet, mit Scenari got this response from one 238 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: of his leaders, quote, in this battle, each clan must 239 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 1: look to its own affairs and fight its own battles 240 00:13:57,240 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: with all its might. There is no time to be 241 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,720 Speaker 1: concer earned with the affairs of others in front, behind, 242 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: or on either flank. That's not really something you want 243 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: to hear from a guy who's supposed to be fighting 244 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,400 Speaker 1: for your cause. So Missonari decided it was time to 245 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: call his supposed ally Hideyaki into battle, and so he 246 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,720 Speaker 1: lit a bonfire to send him the signal. But Hidiaki 247 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: didn't budge with his enormous army. He just sat on 248 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:29,840 Speaker 1: his mountaintop, not answering Mitsunari's command, but not changing sides either. Finally, Ieyasu, 249 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: who was wondering if Heidiaki had changed his mind about deserting, 250 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: sent one of his guys to have it out with him. 251 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: The chieftain messenger held a short sword to Hideaki's gut 252 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,400 Speaker 1: and told him, quote, the battle has already begun. Now 253 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: is the time for either victory or defeat. There's some 254 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,640 Speaker 1: doubt about your intent to change sides. If you have lied, 255 00:14:50,120 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: I'll run this through you right here. So that makes 256 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:58,320 Speaker 1: um Ieyasu's intentions pretty clear. But that threat was made 257 00:14:58,320 --> 00:15:02,520 Speaker 1: even clearer when Eeyasu ordered his troops to open fire 258 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: on Hidiaki. I mean, after all, if they weren't going 259 00:15:04,680 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 1: to dessert, they would just be considered enemies again. And 260 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:11,280 Speaker 1: knowing that this was really his last chance to keep 261 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: his promise to i Yasu, Hidiaki finally, after forty five 262 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,680 Speaker 1: minutes of sitting on this mountain with pretty much everybody 263 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: trying to see what he was going to do waiting 264 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,240 Speaker 1: to see what he was gonna do, rallied his men 265 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: and cried, our target is Otani Yochugu, who was one 266 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: of the major commanders of the Western Army. And that target, 267 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: though Sugu was really sickly and almost blind, he was 268 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: actually directing his troops from a leader during the battle. 269 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:43,160 Speaker 1: But he must have suspected that Hideaki was going to 270 00:15:43,280 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: turn tail because half of his men were already facing 271 00:15:46,800 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: towards their supposed ally, you know, waiting for him to 272 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: come down that hill. They fought off the charge as 273 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: best as they could, but they were pretty tired, you know. 274 00:15:54,360 --> 00:15:56,880 Speaker 1: They've been fighting for hours by this point, and they 275 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: were eventually enveloped by enemies. And when Sugu realized that 276 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,280 Speaker 1: he was done for, he ordered his aid to cut 277 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: off his head and keep it out of e SU's hands. 278 00:16:09,240 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: He didn't want to be a battle trophy. Essentially, As 279 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,880 Speaker 1: news of Hidiaki's treachery spread through the Western army, morale 280 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:21,600 Speaker 1: just kind of skydived. Guys started fighting just to get out, 281 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:25,280 Speaker 1: and soon Mitt Naughty himself led the field. The battle 282 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: was over by two pm, with Ea Su victorious. He 283 00:16:29,080 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: reviewed the heads that were taken in battle, and a 284 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:35,000 Speaker 1: party soon hunted down Mit Naughty and he was executed 285 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: along with several other commanders and Mit Scenari really did 286 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,880 Speaker 1: prove to be e SU's last major threat to power, 287 00:16:41,920 --> 00:16:46,280 Speaker 1: because after the battle, Eau banished or seized the lands 288 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: of a lot of the other so called rebellious damio 289 00:16:49,400 --> 00:16:52,600 Speaker 1: and redistributed the land to people who he trusted more. 290 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: You know, really trusted allies and adjusted the administration of 291 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:59,840 Speaker 1: his government too. He would place his best, most trusted 292 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: ends in central Japan, you know, so he felt particularly secure, 293 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: and he'd create new regulations to to keep daimio and 294 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: nobles and clerics all in check. He even pulled a 295 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 1: versai and kind of had everyone pitching on building and 296 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 1: expanding the castle at Edo. Daimio would live in the 297 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: mansions that surrounded that. In sixteen o three, the Imperial 298 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: Court appointed him show gun, and after two years he retired, 299 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,920 Speaker 1: leaving his title to his son, hed Tata. Yasu had 300 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:31,159 Speaker 1: earned his power and demonstrated it decisively in battle. But 301 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:33,400 Speaker 1: if his son was going to continue in his position 302 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 1: and establish a Tokagawa Shogunate, the family needed to be 303 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,920 Speaker 1: one percent free of rival. And there was still one 304 00:17:41,080 --> 00:17:44,120 Speaker 1: hanging around, wasn't there? Yes, there was, but the one 305 00:17:44,119 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: who started this first, the one who all of this 306 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,439 Speaker 1: fighting was about. So by this point, Toya told me 307 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:54,680 Speaker 1: Hideyoshi's son, Toyo told me Hidori was all grown up, 308 00:17:54,840 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: and many of the old lords, even though they were 309 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:02,080 Speaker 1: outwardly loyal to Yasu and his him, we're still secretly 310 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,320 Speaker 1: loyal to the memory of Hedyoshi and by extension, the 311 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: memory and the future rule of his son and as 312 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:11,920 Speaker 1: long as they lived. Easu really played it pretty cool. 313 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 1: He allowed Heidore to stay in his defensive castle to 314 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: govern his own lands, you know, to have some measure 315 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: of freedom and responsibility. Yasu even married his granddaughter off 316 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,720 Speaker 1: to Hedor, hoping that that would smooth things over, you know, 317 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: let everybody know that he was not going to mess 318 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:33,080 Speaker 1: with this kid. But when the last of Hedoshi's loyal 319 00:18:33,160 --> 00:18:37,000 Speaker 1: daimo died in sixteen eleven, I Yasu started to make 320 00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: plans to eliminate his son, and in sixteen fourteen he 321 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,880 Speaker 1: finally made his move, claiming that he Diori had tried 322 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:47,800 Speaker 1: to jinx him with this inscription on a bronze bell, 323 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: you know, really just an excuse. He raised ninety thousand 324 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: ronan and attacked Osaka Castle to try to kill the 325 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,480 Speaker 1: twenty two year old Diori, just so his family would 326 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:03,040 Speaker 1: be one in the there, but Asaka Castle was super 327 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:07,560 Speaker 1: strong and it withheld the siege. Eventually, though, Yasu tricked 328 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: Titiori into a truce where he filled his outer moats 329 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,919 Speaker 1: and tore down the outer fortifications. Only months after this 330 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:19,719 Speaker 1: had been done, Eeyasu attacked him again. Hitiori ended up 331 00:19:19,760 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 1: committing suicide and his young son was killed in the battle. 332 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: Iyasu's own family continued to rule a unified Japan until 333 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 1: eighteen sixty eight, so he certainly succeeded in establishing his 334 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: family line. And just kind of a fun fact before 335 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 1: we leave this story, because I know, I mean, people 336 00:19:37,880 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: love ninja, right, Ninja's were really important to warfare during 337 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:44,199 Speaker 1: this period, and I mean you kind of think of 338 00:19:44,280 --> 00:19:47,800 Speaker 1: them now as assassin's clad in black. But according to 339 00:19:47,840 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: an article in military history by John Bertrand, part of 340 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,320 Speaker 1: Ieyasu's success came from the fact that he controlled most 341 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:57,920 Speaker 1: of the ninja provinces, so he had a lot of 342 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 1: potential spies on his hands. And and I didn't even 343 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:04,600 Speaker 1: know that there were ninja provinces. I mean, there were 344 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: special ninja villages that looked normal to the naked eye, 345 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:12,000 Speaker 1: but we're really filled with these secret booby traps and 346 00:20:12,119 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: things like rice patties that could be flooded as moats, 347 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:19,480 Speaker 1: and lots of young boys and men training to become ninjas. 348 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: It really doesn't surprised me that he went out now 349 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,920 Speaker 1: knowing that he had ninjas on his side, So yeah, 350 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: I mean he had all of this reconnaissance and that 351 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: really supposedly helped him a lot leading up to Sekigahara. 352 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,560 Speaker 1: So now we know a little bit about Eosu's secret 353 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:36,960 Speaker 1: weapon and how he managed to went out. It was 354 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:39,040 Speaker 1: because he had some ninja spies on his side, And 355 00:20:40,280 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: we also had a little bit of secret ninja like 356 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: help with putting together this podcast because of course, as 357 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: you've noticed, we are not the best at Japanese pronunciations, 358 00:20:51,880 --> 00:20:55,919 Speaker 1: so we got some help from our coworker, fellow podcaster 359 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:00,920 Speaker 1: Tyler Klang and Um he is also a Japanese speaker 360 00:21:01,040 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 1: in addition to as many other myriad talents. Yeah, well, 361 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: and it's it's really great to have some pronunciation help 362 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: so that we can cover really awesome Japanese history stories. 363 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: And just to be clear, any mistakes we made are 364 00:21:13,880 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: not a reflection upon him. We did our best. So 365 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: if you have any other Japanese history you want to 366 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: suggest anything you want to say about Um, I don't 367 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: know ninja strategy. It was interesting to learn that there 368 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 1: are a lot of modern sort of spy reconnaissance techniques 369 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: that are maybe partly inspired by Ninja technique, So if 370 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:37,800 Speaker 1: you have anything you want to say about that, feel 371 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:41,440 Speaker 1: free to email us that History podcast at Discovery dot com. 372 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: We're also on Twitter at Misston History, and we're on Facebook. 373 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: And if you want to learn a little bit more 374 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: about some of the things that we discussed in this podcast, 375 00:21:51,320 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: Ninja in particular, we do have an article called how 376 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:57,199 Speaker 1: Ninja's Work and you can look that at by visiting 377 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:04,440 Speaker 1: our homepage at www dot how Stuff Work dot com. 378 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:07,119 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 379 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join House to Work staff as we 380 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:14,359 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow. The 381 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:17,040 Speaker 1: House top Works iPhone app has a rise. Download it 382 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 1: today on iTunes.