Gaugamela, Lepanto, Waterloo, Stalingrad. Human history is full of battles that mark a turning point, a before and after without which the world that came later would not be understood.
The Battle of Okehazama is one of them. One of those moments when, even without its own protagonists knowing it, the fate of millions is decided for centuries to come. It’s also one of the best fights featured in Samurai Warriors 4.
The Confrontation at Okehazama
The confrontation that pitted the legions of the powerful Imagawa clan against the small Oda army in the valleys of Owari province, near present-day Nagoya, was to chart a new course in Japan’s future.
After Okehazama, the road to national unification would finally open, after nearly a century of disorder and continuous civil wars. This day in June 1560 was to be the beginning of the end of the bloody Sengoku period.
Imagawa Yoshimoto’s Ambition
With the first heat of summer, Imagawa Yoshimoto, the powerful lord of Suruga, decided that his time had come. It was time to mobilize his troops and plant his banners in Kyoto, to put an end to the chaos of civil wars and become the owner and lord of Japan.
His clan, of noble and aristocratic ancestry, held sway at court, was one of the wealthiest in the land, and, above all, enjoyed immense military and political power. If proposed, Yoshimoto could even aspire to the title of shogun.
The Obstacle: Owari Province
On the way to the capital, there was only one obstacle: the modest province of Owari, home of the Oda clan, annoying neighbors with whom the Imagawa had been fighting for nearly a century.
But, faced with a force approaching 25,000 men, Yoshimoto knew that the modest Oda army would be no match. While Yoshimoto was in an enviable position to strike, some historians doubt that his true intention was to march on Kyoto.
It is possible that this mobilization was merely a punitive expedition to reinforce his position of hegemony in the region and secure the borders. Or perhaps his point of view was really fixed on the capital. In any case, the threat to little Owari was undeniable.
Nobunaga’s Dilemma
In just a few days, Owari’s borders had fallen. Yoshimoto’s hosts had a free way to attack Kiyosu Castle, the capital. There, the young lord of the Oda, Nobunaga, saw how even his own vassals didn’t believe he knew how to handle the situation.
Desperate, some urged him to surrender and pray for his life to the great Yoshimoto; others advocated resisting behind the castle walls in the vain hope that the Imagawa would run out of provisions and choose to retreat. There were even those who implored their lord to abandon the province and go into exile.
Rumors put the number of invading troops at 40,000, a force all but impossible to contain with the less than 3,000 soldiers remaining in Owari. At the age of 26, Nobunaga made the decision of his life. A determination that would change the course of history forever. He was going to stand up to Yoshimoto’s armies in the open field.
A Desperate Decision
Others say that Nobunaga’s decision was a simple act of desperation; for a samurai, nothing is more honorable than to die fighting, even when victory is impossible and all is lost.
But Nobunaga wasn’t a man who liked to fight losing battles in advance, like the heroes of yesteryear. He knew that, no matter how small, he had a chance to win, to save his province, and that opportunity wasn’t behind the walls of Kiyosu.
The Battle Begins
On the morning of June 19, Nobunaga went out to meet Yoshimoto’s troops with some 2,500 men, all that remained of the decimated Oda army. His intention was far from seeking the typical knightly heroic death, even if his own commanders didn’t have confidence in him.
The young Oda leader had won among his people a certain idiotic and incompetent fame, thanks to his eccentric behavior and extravagant whims. Everyone wondered if this clearly suicidal order to attack would be nothing more than another absurdity of their lord.
Nobunaga’s Strategy
Contrary to popular opinion, Nobunaga wasn’t a moron. He knew that if he harassed Imagawa’s rear and threatened his supply line with small surprise attacks and rapid retreats, confusion would spread.
The Achilles’ heel of such a great host is in logistics: if the invading army didn’t have a secure rear, it would have to abandon its advance towards Kyoto and return to its domains at Suruga.
The battlefield was his home province, so Nobunaga knew the terrain well and, by applying guerrilla tactics, hoped to hold back Yoshimoto’s legions. But he soon realized that something much bigger was at hand.
The Surprise Attack
Sure of victory, the Imagawa staff had camped quietly in Okehazama Valley, with the capital Oda just a stone’s throw away. What could they fear? Nobunaga’s 2,500 rags were no match for his legions.
There was no doubt that the next morning, their banners would be waving on the walls of Kiyosu. Such was the relaxed mood as Yoshimoto removed his armor, complaining of the heat, and the soldiers joyfully celebrated the impending victory.
The Turning Point
After receiving the report from his scouts, Nobunaga knew that he had before him the opportunity of a lifetime. Immediately, he moved his army towards one of the hills bordering Okehazama. There, he planted his banners and left a small garrison as a decoy.
Then, as if the gods to whom he never believed were smiling at Nobunaga, a lightning bolt split the sky in two and a torrential rain began to furiously beat down on the land of Owari. Protected by the dense curtain of water under a wicked storm, the majority of his troops moved quickly and stealthily through the mud, behind the hills, falling by surprise into the unsuspecting heart of Imagawa Yoshimoto’s forces.
Victory and Its Consequences
The attack was so sudden that, upon hearing the first cries, the generals of the Imagawa clan thought it was a fight among their own men. By the time they realized their mistake, it was too late. Fifteen minutes after the first charge, the aristocratic head of Yoshimoto lay at the feet of the young Nobunaga.
His fabulous hosts retreated, and the power and prestige of his lineage collapsed forever. Nobunaga had taken the first step in his brilliant military career; twenty years later, all of Japan would kneel before this young general. It would be him, and not Yoshimoto, who would eventually unify the country under his leadership. Okehazama was the beginning of the end of the old medieval order; a new era was about to begin in the Land of the Rising Sun.
