The History of Japanese WarfareFrom the 10th to 16th Century
...iance with the Fukiwara, and suppressed a number of provincial revolts in the 11th century. From 1156 to 1159 Taira Kiyomori took control of the government by giving the Taira support to the retired emperors. By 1180, Minamoto Yoritomo led a revolt in Kanto. After 5 years of campaigning, the Taira were defeated at the sea battle of Dannoura in 1185. In the 13th century, the Mongols attempted to invade Japan from Asia. Their first invasion was launched in 1274, but due to bad weather, the Mongols were forced to withdraw without establishing themselves in Japan. In 1281, a stronger attack was launched. This attack was more successful, with the invaders staying onshore for several weeks. After bitter fighting, a storm scattered their ships and brought their attack to an end. After the invasion and the economic changes, the Hojo rule was unacceptable. Emperor Go-Daigo saw this opportunity to restore power to the courts. He won the backing of some of the powerful provincial houses in 1333, and the Hojo was overthrown. Ashikaga Takauji, who was a vital part of the Daigo victory, seized Kyoto in 1336 and established himself as a nominee for emperor. Daigo set up at Yoshino and Japan was in a constant state of civil war until 1392, when a compromise was reached. Ashikaga could never wield the power of shogun as his Hojo predecessors. The civil wars extended the power of the samurai and their independence to the point they could defy the shogun’s orders. In 1467, a dispute precipitated a struggle for power, until in 1573 the last of the Ashikaga were deposed. The civil wars that lasted from the middle of the 15th century to the end of the 16th century saw a number of military advances. Foot soldiers became more important, armed with firearms at the end of the wars, provided by the Portuguese. Armies were larger, and fortifications developed to the point of having huge castles built by the greatest lords which could control vast amounts of land. The samurai became more of a full time soldier. By the 1560s, most of the old families had been overthrown and the newly established lords controlled entire provinces or more. They were mostly able to challenge the Ashikaga individually. The first to step up was Oda Nobunaga, lord of the Owari province. He captured Kyoto in 1568. He then started to eliminate rivals ...