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When Toyotomi Hideyoshi
died in 1598, he chose his young son Toyotomi
Hideyori as successor. Ishida Mitsunari,
the leader of Hideyoshi's bureaucracy, was loyal to this testament.
Disagreement later arose between Mitsunari's bureaucrats and warlords
such as Fukushima Masanori. Tokugawa
Ieyasu saw this as the chance to take control and gathered
the discontented warlords under him. The outcome was to be the greatest
battle in Japanese history. On the 21st October, the opposing armies
met. The battle was fought by an estimated 200,000 warriors.
The Eastern army included the commanders:
Tokugawa Ieyasu, veteran commander-in-chief,
aged 58. (30,000 men)
Kato Kiyomasa (1562-1611) A close friend
of Hideyoshi but fought for Ieyasu because of his hatred of Mitsunari.
A member of the Nichiren Buddhist sect.
His province was half of Kyushu which is where he fought during the
battle.
Kato Yoshiaki (1563-1631) allied with Kiyomasa
he was located at Iyo, north Shikoku. (3,000 men)
Kuroda Nagamasa (1568-1623) A Christian.
Northern Kyushu. (5,400 men)
Ii Naomasa (1561-1602) All his samurai
wore red lacquered armour and were known as the 'Red Devils'. Located
at Takasaki. (3,600 men)
The Western army included the commanders:
Ishida Mitsunari The commander-in-chief
of the 'loyalist' forces. (6,000 men)
Mori Terumoto (1553-1625) He led the greatest
force and was very wealthy. Generally acknowledged as the better general,
Mitsunari accepted that he be overall commander on the condition that
he stay at Osaka Castle, the HQ of the Toyotomi faction. The response
to this slight was for Terumoto to refuse to take any action at all
(and so, was not present on the field).
Ukita Hideie (1572-1662) Nominal second-in
command he had been raised by Hideyoshi. One of the five Tairo.
Ruled the provinces Bizen & Mimasaka. (17,000 men)
Kobayakawa Hideaki (1582-1602) A nephew
of Hideyoshi's wife Ne-Ne, he was just
19 years old when the battle took place. Had been slighted by Mitsunari
during the Korean invasion and was aided by Ieyasu. Although naturally
aligned to the loyalist side he trusted Ieyasu over Mitsunari. He
later switched sides and betrayed Mitsunari, playing a pivotal role
in the outcome. (15,600 men)
The campaign leading up to the battle began in July of 1600 when Ieyasu
left Osaka Castle to travel east to Oyama
there to subjugate Uesugi Kagekatsu. Many
castle sieges and provincial attacks later Ieyasu left Edo on 7th
October to march west. By the 19th he was stationed at Gifu
Castle. Mitsunari had now set up his HQ at Ogaki
Castle and on the evening of the 20th he moved his army to
the small mountain valley of Sekigahara. It rained all night. |
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8 am
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When the fog cleared the 'Red Devils' of the eastern
army were the first to advance. The battle had begun. The fighting
was mostly hand-to hand in the mud, but there were also the ranks
of gunners who fired muskets into the front lines.
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10 am
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Ieyasu, feeling confident,
moved his command post forward to within half a mile of Mitsunari's
position.
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11 am
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The field was in chaos with hundreds of men falling
on both sides. Mitsunari decided it was
time for Kobayakawa Hideaki, with his
15,000 men to join the attack, the order was given, but not obeyed.
Ieyasu was aware of Hideaki's intention to join him and waited anxiously
for him to act. Only after Ieyasu had muskets fired at Hideaki's
position did he leap into action.
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noon
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Hideaki, charged down the mountainside and attacked
Yoshitsugu of the Western army. Other
commanders under Mitsunari changed sides and followed Hideaki's
lead.
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2 pm
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With his commanders in retreat Mitsunari accepted
defeat but escaped to the mountains. Ieyasu declared the battle
over, he had won.
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At first, the western army outnumbered the eastern
army, and it was expected that Mitsunari's army would win. Ieyasu,
though was the better strategist. A few important daimyo in the western
army had been bribed by Ieyasu, and they did not move when Mitsunari
ordered them to attack. Mitsunari was finally captured and executed
(beheaded) as a war criminal. Tadayoshi,
Ieyasu's son was praised for his brave performance in the field but
Hidetada, his other son arrived too late
for the battle. He had disobeyed orders not to try and take Ueda
Castle, and had wasted too much time in the attempt.This battle
decided the next ruler of Japan.
All daimyo, with the exception of Hideyori and a few of his followers
now obeyed Ieyasu. In 1603, Ieyasu became shogun, and established
the 'Tokugawa Shogunate' in Edo. |
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