A Game of Succession
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Go-Tairo, or Council of Five Elders, would contend with one another over how best to interpret and execute the Taiko’s final commands.
After the death of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the Go-Tairo, or Council of Five Elders, would contend with one another over how best to interpret and execute the Taiko’s final commands.
After a few years of uneasy ceasefire, the fighting resumes between the Japanese and the Koreans and their Ming allies. After a massive setback when the new-and-improved Japanese Navy nearly annihilates the Korean fleet at Chilcheollyang, Admiral Yi Sun-sin would once more bring his martial prowess to bear against his foes on the high seas with stunning results.
The Imjin War takes on a new dimension as fully-equipped armies from the Ming Dynasty arrive to take on the Japanese invasion. What began as an easy conquest for Toyotomi Hideyoshi soon became an intractable quagmire and gradually settled into a stalemate.
As the 1592 invasion of Korea continued, the Japanese armies enjoyed a rapid sequence of victories on land, dominating the peninsula in sieges and battles. Their quick success would soon become a liability, however, when the superior Joseon Navy started sinking supply ships and overcoming Japanese battle fleets.
In 1592, the armies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi invaded Korea, engaging in wanton slaughter, merciless plundering, and surprisingly rapid success. Because the Joseon Kingdom was almost completely unprepared for this incursion, they would need to rely on the aid of Ming China to win back control of the peninsula.
After campaigning in Shikoku and Kyushu, the only remaining regions still just outside of Hideyoshi’s grasp were Kanto and Tohoku, who would both soon be brought into line.
In this episode we explore the many social and economic innovations spearheaded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi during his time at the nation’s helm.
Hashiba Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu face off in Owari Province with massive armies to determine who would be the official protector of Nobunaga’s rightful heir. Although it appeared that a massive, dramatic battle was imminent, the months-long standoff turned into a stalemate in which neither side could gain a significant advantage.
Now that his retainers had successfully avenged his betrayal, one of them would manage to seize power now that the great daimyo was gone. However, the question of who would take up Nobunaga’s Mantle would ultimately be decided on the battlefield.
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