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[woman crying]
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[opening theme plays]
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[narrator] 1568.
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Ten years after waging a bloody campaign
to gain control over his own province,
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powerful samurai warlord Oda Nobunaga
has seized much of Central Japan,
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including the nation’s capital, Kyoto.
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Now, driven by a towering ambition,
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he dreams of crushing the powerful clans
who still oppose his rule.
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And for the first time in over a century,
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uniting all of Japan under one banner.
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But Nobunaga’s legendary brutality
has caused widespread anger.
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Across the nation,
powerful enemies now plot his demise.
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[Ashmore] Nobunaga was a master
of the battlefield.
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But in Kyoto, he was beginning to see
the potential he had for power.
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[Turnbull] This caused lasting resentment
among Nobunaga’s rivals.
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They knew that Nobunaga
wanted the power for himself.
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[Garrett] This meant Nobunaga's rule
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in Central Japan was immediately
ringed by adversaries,
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who whilst of very diverse origins,
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were drawn together by their dislike
and worry about his expanding control.
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If Nobunaga wished to truly consolidate
his power in Central Japan,
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he had to either co-opt or eliminate
all other sources of authority.
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And the Buddhist institutions,
the great temples…
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and the populist Buddhist sects
were two of the greatest threats to this.
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[in Japanese] The blessing of the Buddha
to us…
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[Spafford] The Buddhist establishment
was a huge hurdle in Nobunaga’s path.
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These institutions were deeply embedded
in the political fabric of the country
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and absolutely accustomed
to flex their political muscle.
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[Garrett] Buddhism has a very long history
in Japan,
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and it arrived in Japan
before there really was a Japan
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in the sense
of a centralized bureaucratic state.
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The concept is that the great temples
exist to perform ritual and ceremony,
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which will protect Japan from invasion,
from disease, from hardship.
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This is a divine defense against
any kind of external or internal threat.
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The Buddhist institutions were
often as heavily armed as warlords.
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[Turnbull] They would fight to the death.
Nothing daunted them,
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and they knew that victory in battle
would guarantee the path to heaven.
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[speaking indistinctly in Japanese]
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So, these were major institutions
that had the military power
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to prevent the total domination
of Central Japan by Nobunaga.
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[in Japanese] You called?
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Rid me of these parasites!
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Mitsuhide!
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Now, get moving!
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Yes, sir.
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[Spafford] The large Buddhist institutions
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were not the only,
or even the major, threat
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coming from, let’s call it,
the Buddhist quarter.
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There was a new militant sect
of Buddhism that developed
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called the Ikkō-ikki…
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which were communities of believers
spread throughout the land.
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The Ikkō-ikki appeal to the simple
farmers and workers,
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because it was
a very simple formula for salvation,
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just repeating one’s belief in the Buddha.
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This was extremely powerful
in a land that's still beset
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by poverty and famine and warfare.
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[Garrett] The Ikko drew people together
across social lines
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to defend their places of worship
and communities in a collective manner.
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Merchants, villagers, monks, everyone
could be united by their common faith
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to try and drive daimyo rule
out of their land.
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[Auslin] By the end of the 1500s,
the Ikkō-ikki had a network across Japan.
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They built large temple fortresses…
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and they were rising up
in almost all of the provinces.
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[yells]
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[all yell]
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[Auslin] They had armies
of monks and peasants.
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They answered to a higher authority.
They weren't willing to become subordinate
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to any of the great daimyo leaders,
including Oda Nobunaga.
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[in Japanese] Oda Nobunaga is…
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torturing our people.
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His deeds are of the devil.
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We must put from our minds any image
of these Buddhist monks being peaceful men
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who spent their lives in prayer.
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They were a formidable military enemy.
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[all] Ho!
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[Auslin] If Nobunaga did not make
an example of them,
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and he felt that
they threatened his authority
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and would allow uprisings
throughout the country
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in the strategic points
that he wanted to control,
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he had to destroy them.
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[Garrett] When Nobunaga moved
against the Ikkō-ikki,
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he was aiming for its total eradication
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and the massacre of anyone
who stood in his way.
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[narrator] August, 1570.
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Nobunaga moves
to destroy the Ikkō-ikki forever.
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After crushing a number
of their fortresses,
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he decides to strike
at the heart of Buddhism in Japan.
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The temple complex Enryaku-ji.
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It is a decision that will threaten
everything he has worked to achieve.
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[in Japanese] We, as Buddhists,
must not allow this.
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We shall not allow his actions.
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[Auslin] Enryaku-ji was by far the most
politically influential Buddhist complex
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in Japan,
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and for centuries,
it had had political power that rivaled
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the great chieftains throughout Japan,
and had very close ties with the court.
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[in Japanese] Even though it is
to disobey Buddha's teachings
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to take a life…
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And one thing that had enraged Nobunaga,
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who was
very vehemently anti-Buddhist anyway,
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was that these monks had given
refuge to his fleeing enemies.
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Not only that, it was so close to Kyoto,
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it literally overlooked the city,
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that here was a potential strategic threat
to Nobunaga’s survival.
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So he made the most fateful decision
of his career.
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He would attack and destroy
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the greatest monastery in Japan,
the Enryaku-ji.
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In September 1571,
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Nobunaga assembled an army of a size
that you would expect for a major battle
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against a serious enemy.
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[Garrett] Nobunaga's advance on Enryaku-ji
caused much of the civilian population
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to retreat to the top of a mountain,
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to the top of Mount Hiei where
the monastic complex of Enryaku-ji was.
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[soldiers yelling]
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[Garrett] Nobunaga ordered his troops
to advance in a line up the mountain,
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murdering anyone they came across…
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[arquebus fires]
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…and burning any buildings.
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[flames crackling]
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[Auslin] During this period of Sengoku
warfare, there was brutality on all sides,
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but Enryaku-ji brought it
to a different level.
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-[whimpers, screams]
-[blade slashes]
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[Garrett] Sources characterized Nobunaga's
troops as wild animals.
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[groans]
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All Nobunaga's men reached
the top of the mountain
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and the central temple itself.
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And when Nobunaga's troops approached,
they gave an ultimatum to Enryaku-ji.
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They could display loyalty to him,
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or they could resist him and be destroyed.
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And they chose the latter.
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[Turnbull] The temple was burned,
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and the citizens of Kyoto could look up
into the eastern sky
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and see it lit up
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with the flames of the most famous
Buddhist monastery in Japan.
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[soldiers yelling]
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[Turnbull] Nobunaga’s men hunted down
anyone who had escaped
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from the conflagration.
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[cries out in pain]
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-[in Japanese] Mother, are you all right?
-Run.
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Mother! Run away.
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Mother!
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[Garrett] This was an unsparing attack
in which no one,
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be they monk, woman, or child…
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was exempted from assault.
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[crying]
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[woman continues crying]
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[Garrett] Nobunaga ordered
that all of them,
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every woman and every child,
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should be beheaded,
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which was a sight that even his own troops
could barely bear to watch.
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It’s said that 20,000 people died
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in this greatest act
of tyranny and cruelty.
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It even disgusted
some of his most loyal generals.
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Akechi Mitsuhide,
himself a devout Buddhist,
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from that moment on
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began to have grave doubts
about Nobunaga's ability to rule.
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[Auslin] There’s clearly something
pathological in Nobunaga’s character.
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None of the daimyo shied away from using
force, but Nobunaga seemed to revel in it.
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-[woman crying]
-[blade slashes]
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[Auslin] This massacre was absolute.
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It’s said that there was a river of blood
that ran down the mountainside.
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This, of course, was a message.
It was a message to other Buddhist sects.
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It was also a message to the other daimyos
that Nobunaga would observe no boundary.
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-[blade slashes]
-This man, who, for the first time,
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had a realistic chance of actually uniting
at least the central provinces of Japan
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was going to do it one way,
through bloodshed and through the sword.
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But his destruction of Enryaku-ji
would come back to haunt him later on.
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[narrator] The bloodshed continues
as Nobunaga strikes
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against more of their strongholds,
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and puts countless Buddhists to the sword.
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These actions enrage other powerful
warlords, known as daimyo,
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and set Nobunaga on a collision course
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with his most powerful
and formidable adversary yet.
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[Turnbull] It wasn't just
the Buddhist establishment
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who were shocked by Nobunaga's action
on Mount Hiei.
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Many of the daimyo now became convinced
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that Nobunaga was a cruel tyrant
who had to be overthrown.
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However, only very few of them had
the resources whereby they could do it.
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One of them did,
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and his name was Takeda Shingen.
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[Ledbetter] Takeda Shingen was a daimyo
of Kai Province, located in Central Japan.
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He was known as a particularly fierce
military commander.
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[Meyer] He became known widely
as the Tiger of Kai,
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and he’s really one of the last people
who’s in a position
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to check Nobunaga’s advance across Japan.
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He has a complex reputation.
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He's, on the one hand,
a man of incredible violence.
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Certain crimes
are punished by being boiled alive.
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On the other hand,
he is an ordained Buddhist monk.
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A slogan associated with him refers
to one of the Buddha's sayings,
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“Under heaven,
I alone am worthy of respect,"
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and Shingen puts his own spin on it.
"I alone am worthy of being feared."
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[Bender] Other daimyo recognized
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that Takeda Shingen
was a very significant threat,
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um, and that he was the head
of a formidable army.
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What it really comes down to is that
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Shingen knows that Nobunaga
is a major threat and vice versa.
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[Ledbetter] After the destruction
of the Enryaku-ji,
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Takeda Shingen decided that he needed
to take the offensive against Nobunaga.
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He did so by first trying to eliminate
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Nobunaga’s ally, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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[Auslin] He'd served Nobunaga
since the Battle of Okehazama
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and was one of his most trusted
generals and advisers.
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But Ieyasu’s lands lie
to the east of Nobunaga
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and the south of Shingen,
so he’s in between the two.
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And now, Shingen is going to attack
Ieyasu first and then turn on Nobunaga.
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This is the first step on an invasion
heading all the way to Kyoto
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to displace Nobunaga from Kyoto itself,
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so that Shingen could become
the new lord of the Imperial City.
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This was a dangerous situation
for Ieyasu,
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because at this point
he knows he is outnumbered,
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he's facing a very formidable general.
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But he does have one ace, and that is
his relationship with Oda Nobunaga.
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He can reach out to his powerful ally
and ask for help.
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[horse neighs]
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[Meyer] But Nobunaga at this point
is embroiled in this war
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in Central Japan against
Buddhist establishments.
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Most of his forces are already engaged.
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He sends a paltry force of 3,000 middling
commanders at best to assist Ieyasu.
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This is a dangerous gamble for Nobunaga.
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If Ieyasu falls, then Nobunaga's
own home province of Owari
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is probably the next target.
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But it's a gamble that, in many ways,
I think he had to make.
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Too many other wars to fight.
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[Ledbetter] Now, Takeda Shingen
had around 35,000 troops.
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Ieyasu had around 8,000 troops.
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[in Japanese] We meet them in the field.
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We will fight the Takeda and destroy them!
No weakness!
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Yet he still decided
to meet Shingen in the field.
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[Meyer] The main reason
he chooses to do this
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is because he believes a show of strength
is necessary for his own vassals.
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Loyalty for a samurai at this point
is a two-way street.
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00:17:05,607 --> 00:17:08,487
They're loyal to people who win,
who can protect them.
233
00:17:08,569 --> 00:17:10,819
The lord who cannot
protect his own territory
234
00:17:10,904 --> 00:17:13,374
from being robbed
by an army coming through…
235
00:17:13,449 --> 00:17:14,909
Is that a lord worth following?
236
00:17:21,707 --> 00:17:24,497
[narrator] January 25th, 1573.
237
00:17:25,335 --> 00:17:28,545
Ieyasu ignores
his commanders' calls to back down.
238
00:17:30,007 --> 00:17:32,127
He moves his men to confront Shingen.
239
00:17:33,010 --> 00:17:37,770
He is outnumbered three to one.
But despite the odds, Ieyasu attacks.
240
00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:45,650
Within hours, Shingen’s superior tactics
and numbers annihilate Ieyasu’s forces.
241
00:17:45,731 --> 00:17:46,941
Mad with grief,
242
00:17:47,024 --> 00:17:51,244
Ieyasu fights on and must be dragged
to safety by his loyal retainers.
243
00:18:06,210 --> 00:18:08,800
[Ledbetter] This was a humbling defeat
for Ieyasu.
244
00:18:09,463 --> 00:18:11,763
He had tried to stand up
to a superior force,
245
00:18:11,840 --> 00:18:14,510
like his ally Nobunaga
had done several times,
246
00:18:14,593 --> 00:18:16,013
and was defeated decisively.
247
00:18:21,100 --> 00:18:23,980
[Meyer] The loss is very demoralizing
for Ieyasu,
248
00:18:24,061 --> 00:18:26,441
as is the fact that the very next year,
249
00:18:26,522 --> 00:18:28,272
the armies of the Takeda do return
250
00:18:28,357 --> 00:18:32,147
and take several castles from him,
and he feels utterly unable to stop it.
251
00:18:32,236 --> 00:18:34,396
He doesn't even put an army out to try.
252
00:18:39,535 --> 00:18:43,325
[Bender] Takeda Shingen
completely has Ieyasu on the ropes, uh,
253
00:18:43,413 --> 00:18:47,003
and if he wanted to deliver
that final knockout blow, he could have.
254
00:18:48,293 --> 00:18:53,013
But in the early part of that decade,
255
00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:58,390
in the midst of this great success
that Shingen has enjoyed, uh, he dies.
256
00:19:00,889 --> 00:19:05,019
The consensus
is that he probably died of liver cancer.
257
00:19:05,102 --> 00:19:09,192
A kind of unceremonious end
to this illustrious warlord.
258
00:19:11,650 --> 00:19:14,740
Before his death, he gave
instructions to his senior retainers
259
00:19:14,820 --> 00:19:17,530
that they were to keep it secret
for three years…
260
00:19:24,288 --> 00:19:29,588
so that his heir, Takeda Katsuyori,
could consolidate his control of Kai
261
00:19:29,668 --> 00:19:35,088
and the retainers underneath him,
before mounting any further operations.
262
00:19:41,180 --> 00:19:44,520
Takeda Katsuyori was
an accomplished general.
263
00:19:44,600 --> 00:19:46,730
He had performed bravely in battle.
264
00:19:47,227 --> 00:19:51,817
His biggest problem was garnering the
support of his father’s senior generals.
265
00:19:53,025 --> 00:19:57,315
These were Shingen’s old guard,
who had been with him his entire life.
266
00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,660
And he’s in direct competition
with the memory of his father.
267
00:20:03,827 --> 00:20:06,577
His father was this gigantic character.
268
00:20:15,547 --> 00:20:17,797
[Meyer] Not all of his retainers
trust him.
269
00:20:17,883 --> 00:20:19,683
You see, Katsuyori's mother
270
00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:24,100
was one of the people who Shingen
had taken by force as a concubine.
271
00:20:24,181 --> 00:20:26,891
So, many of the Takeda retainers
didn't trust Katsuyori.
272
00:20:26,975 --> 00:20:28,765
They thought, "He's a bastard.
273
00:20:28,852 --> 00:20:31,102
He comes from
this extramarital relationship,
274
00:20:31,188 --> 00:20:33,898
and he might not really
be loyal to the cause."
275
00:20:38,362 --> 00:20:42,532
[Auslin] As Kasuyori tries to make his
name as the leader of the Takeda clan…
276
00:20:44,993 --> 00:20:47,913
he receives an unexpected
but very welcome letter.
277
00:20:48,538 --> 00:20:53,168
The letter comes from the wife of one
of his greatest enemies, Tokugawa Ieyasu.
278
00:20:55,545 --> 00:20:57,915
And it seems almost too good to be true.
279
00:21:02,594 --> 00:21:05,894
Lady Tsukiyama was
secretly sending letters
280
00:21:05,973 --> 00:21:11,193
to the leader of Ieyasu's archenemy,
Takeda Katsuyori.
281
00:21:12,688 --> 00:21:15,818
[Kitagawa] Lady Tsukiyama
and Tokugawa Ieyasu married
282
00:21:15,899 --> 00:21:17,109
when they were very young,
283
00:21:17,192 --> 00:21:19,532
like 14 or 15 years old.
284
00:21:19,611 --> 00:21:22,031
It was an arranged marriage
to make peace.
285
00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:27,620
But because
this was an arranged marriage,
286
00:21:27,703 --> 00:21:30,213
their relationship was never good.
287
00:21:34,584 --> 00:21:39,134
They then, uh, lived together
for 13 years, and they had a son.
288
00:21:40,424 --> 00:21:45,224
Lady Tsukiyama was extremely proud,
jealous, tempestuous,
289
00:21:45,304 --> 00:21:47,974
bad-tempered,
very difficult to get along with.
290
00:21:48,849 --> 00:21:54,229
Ieyasu started to take concubines,
and then he had a number of concubines.
291
00:21:55,772 --> 00:22:00,282
Well, Ieyasu certainly came to prefer
the company of his concubines. Um…
292
00:22:01,361 --> 00:22:04,821
All men of power in those days
had concubines,
293
00:22:04,906 --> 00:22:08,946
but we do know that Lady Tsukiyama
had a jealous personality,
294
00:22:09,036 --> 00:22:12,156
so she very probably, um, was jealous
295
00:22:12,247 --> 00:22:15,667
of the fact that he had
some 19 or 20 concubines.
296
00:22:16,793 --> 00:22:19,843
So, as far as she was concerned,
she got a pretty raw deal.
297
00:22:29,806 --> 00:22:35,846
In these letters, she said that she would
betray Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga,
298
00:22:35,937 --> 00:22:37,307
and in exchange…
299
00:22:38,607 --> 00:22:42,487
could he please give her son sanctuary
and give him lands
300
00:22:42,569 --> 00:22:46,819
and could he also provide her with
a husband from among his generals?
301
00:23:00,504 --> 00:23:02,634
[horse neighs]
302
00:23:02,714 --> 00:23:04,724
[horse galloping]
303
00:23:09,554 --> 00:23:14,814
[Bender] So, Katsuyori may have thought,
"Here is my chance to eliminate Ieyasu."
304
00:23:16,603 --> 00:23:21,533
This would really solidify his position
as the new Takeda family head.
305
00:23:23,026 --> 00:23:28,406
And it would also do a lot to really gain
the firm support of his retainers.
306
00:23:30,617 --> 00:23:34,617
[Downer] Takeda Katsuyori answered
and said, "This is fine."
307
00:23:34,704 --> 00:23:37,584
And yet she named the general
who he would marry to her.
308
00:23:47,634 --> 00:23:49,344
[bell dings]
309
00:23:50,512 --> 00:23:53,772
[Ledbetter] Instead of waiting three years
as his father dictated,
310
00:23:53,849 --> 00:23:55,929
Katsuyori decided to move earlier.
311
00:23:56,017 --> 00:24:00,727
And this would lead to one of the most
iconic clashes of the Sengoku period.
312
00:24:04,734 --> 00:24:09,824
In 1575, Katsuyori takes his forces
and follows essentially the same route
313
00:24:09,906 --> 00:24:12,076
that his father had several years before.
314
00:24:14,202 --> 00:24:18,962
For Ieyasu, once again,
this is an invasion into his territory.
315
00:24:22,043 --> 00:24:24,133
Tokugawa Ieyasu is aware of the threat
316
00:24:24,212 --> 00:24:28,472
because he has received messengers
detailing the size of the Takeda force,
317
00:24:28,550 --> 00:24:30,050
about 15,000 men.
318
00:24:31,761 --> 00:24:33,391
And if he cannot stop them,
319
00:24:34,556 --> 00:24:37,346
they potentially
will eliminate him completely.
320
00:24:39,811 --> 00:24:43,271
The situation, as Ieyasu sees it,
is grave.
321
00:24:44,608 --> 00:24:47,028
And he dashes off a message to Nobunaga.
322
00:24:47,944 --> 00:24:50,114
Ieyasu has been a steadfast ally
323
00:24:50,197 --> 00:24:52,657
the entire time
of their relationship together.
324
00:24:53,241 --> 00:24:57,451
He has fought battles
side by side with Nobunaga,
325
00:24:58,705 --> 00:25:00,705
at times, come to rescue Nobunaga.
326
00:25:16,806 --> 00:25:18,176
And he tells Nobunaga…
327
00:25:19,017 --> 00:25:21,347
"I have done all these things for you.
328
00:25:22,562 --> 00:25:25,612
If you don’t send reinforcements now,
329
00:25:26,191 --> 00:25:27,571
I will change sides.
330
00:25:27,651 --> 00:25:30,991
And with Katsuyori,
we will invade your lands,
331
00:25:31,071 --> 00:25:34,161
I will take your castles,
and we will defeat you.”
332
00:25:34,741 --> 00:25:38,121
This is a pretty drastic thing
to be telling Oda Nobunaga.
333
00:25:39,704 --> 00:25:42,464
[Bender] If Nobunaga lost,
334
00:25:42,541 --> 00:25:45,921
this would arguably be
the most serious defeat
335
00:25:46,002 --> 00:25:48,382
that he had suffered up to this point.
336
00:25:48,463 --> 00:25:53,643
And what it would mean is a complete halt
to any kind of eastward expansion.
337
00:25:55,303 --> 00:26:00,393
[Meyer] Nobunaga also relies on this aura
of fear, this aura of invincibility.
338
00:26:00,475 --> 00:26:04,015
If he starts developing a reputation
as a man who can be beaten,
339
00:26:04,104 --> 00:26:07,984
it could become a real rallying point
for opposition to his rule.
340
00:26:12,445 --> 00:26:14,905
[Ledbetter] Ieyasu was right
and Nobunaga knew it.
341
00:26:15,490 --> 00:26:20,500
He sends a letter promising support
along with a significant amount of gold,
342
00:26:20,579 --> 00:26:24,369
gathers his forces,
and travels to meet with Ieyasu.
343
00:26:28,712 --> 00:26:30,762
[narrator] June, 1575.
344
00:26:31,548 --> 00:26:34,508
Nobunaga and Ieyasu combine forces
345
00:26:34,593 --> 00:26:37,303
and together they march
to confront Katsuyori.
346
00:26:39,806 --> 00:26:44,596
Nobunaga and Ieyasu’s armies stop
at the Plains of Shitaragahara,
347
00:26:44,686 --> 00:26:48,766
a few miles from where Katsuyori
and his army are now encamped.
348
00:26:50,525 --> 00:26:52,645
Now, on the eve of the battle,
349
00:26:52,736 --> 00:26:55,776
Nobunaga begins to execute a bold plan
350
00:26:55,864 --> 00:27:00,494
that he hopes will help him beat the most
formidable army he has ever faced.
351
00:27:11,838 --> 00:27:14,668
[Meyer] One of the fascinating things
about Oda Nobunaga
352
00:27:14,758 --> 00:27:17,588
is that, for lack of a better term,
he does his homework.
353
00:27:17,677 --> 00:27:20,177
He's well-prepared
for the people he fights.
354
00:27:21,723 --> 00:27:24,643
The Takeda clan, militarily,
is known for the speed
355
00:27:24,726 --> 00:27:26,806
with which they can
redeploy their troops.
356
00:27:26,895 --> 00:27:28,725
If they’re left unchecked,
357
00:27:28,813 --> 00:27:32,403
they can move their forces around
extremely rapidly, something that
358
00:27:32,484 --> 00:27:35,784
can be damaging if you’re not
prepared for it on the battlefield.
359
00:27:37,113 --> 00:27:41,453
[Auslin] To try and blunt the attack,
Nobunaga builds a series of palisades
360
00:27:41,534 --> 00:27:44,124
that he hopes will slow down
the enemy forces.
361
00:27:45,330 --> 00:27:50,460
These obstacles were placed
so that as the Takeda moved forward,
362
00:27:50,543 --> 00:27:52,553
their advance would be disrupted.
363
00:27:52,629 --> 00:27:59,259
The entire point was to lure the Takeda
into what essentially would be kill zones.
364
00:27:59,344 --> 00:28:03,144
Once they were there, these obstacles
would disrupt their movement.
365
00:28:05,558 --> 00:28:10,188
And that’s where the Oda and the Tokugawa
gunners would do their damage.
366
00:28:12,565 --> 00:28:17,315
[Bender] However, one of the big
weaknesses of muskets in this era
367
00:28:17,404 --> 00:28:21,204
is that reloading times are very long,
368
00:28:21,282 --> 00:28:25,042
and according to the traditional account,
369
00:28:25,120 --> 00:28:29,540
Nobunaga invented
this great technique to mitigate that,
370
00:28:29,958 --> 00:28:32,378
uh, in what is known
as the three-shot volley.
371
00:28:34,045 --> 00:28:37,715
[Ledbetter] There would be units
of arquebuses
372
00:28:37,799 --> 00:28:40,299
combined with two or three archers.
373
00:28:41,136 --> 00:28:43,846
While the arquebuses were reloading,
374
00:28:43,930 --> 00:28:47,850
the bowman could cover that dead time.
375
00:28:47,934 --> 00:28:52,904
Because those would be staggered times,
you get the effect of a rotating fire.
376
00:28:54,566 --> 00:28:56,986
[Bender] And behind Nobunaga's gunners,
377
00:28:57,068 --> 00:29:03,618
he has troops who are equipped with pikes
to get the rider off of the horse,
378
00:29:03,700 --> 00:29:07,500
who could then be attacked
with swords or spears.
379
00:29:08,663 --> 00:29:12,753
[in Japanese] Oda’s troops are here.
If we attack from this direction,
380
00:29:12,834 --> 00:29:14,134
we can win.
381
00:29:15,044 --> 00:29:17,304
[Ledbetter] The Takedas' typical tactic
382
00:29:17,380 --> 00:29:20,430
was to try to move around their opponent,
383
00:29:20,508 --> 00:29:23,008
encircle them,
and then defeat them from all sides.
384
00:29:24,179 --> 00:29:28,269
[Bender] Katsuyori was convinced
that he could win this encounter,
385
00:29:28,349 --> 00:29:30,059
as did his followers.
386
00:29:30,143 --> 00:29:36,233
They had faced the Tokugawa before
and had won this spectacular victory.
387
00:29:38,693 --> 00:29:40,153
On the eve of the battle,
388
00:29:40,236 --> 00:29:43,616
it’s still fair to say
that it could have gone either way.
389
00:29:45,867 --> 00:29:48,367
[Meyer] A defeat
could have been very damaging
390
00:29:48,453 --> 00:29:51,413
for Nobunaga's image around Japan.
391
00:29:51,498 --> 00:29:54,208
He's made a lot of enemies
by the mid-1570s.
392
00:29:54,292 --> 00:29:59,302
If he loses, it could become a real
rallying point for opposition to his rule.
393
00:30:02,258 --> 00:30:04,508
When the two sides
would clash in the morning,
394
00:30:05,220 --> 00:30:10,680
this would be one of the most decisive
and landmark battles in Japanese history.
395
00:30:10,767 --> 00:30:12,767
[wind whistling]
396
00:30:14,854 --> 00:30:16,114
[crow caws]
397
00:30:19,692 --> 00:30:21,532
[horse neighs]
398
00:30:21,611 --> 00:30:23,991
On the morning of the battle,
the Takeda advance
399
00:30:24,072 --> 00:30:28,332
and take up an attack position on
the ridgeline facing the Oda positions.
400
00:30:29,077 --> 00:30:31,077
[horse neighs]
401
00:30:31,246 --> 00:30:34,746
[Ledbetter] Everything's silent,
except for the movement of horses.
402
00:30:38,837 --> 00:30:42,087
Katsuyori can see
the Oda positions, but…
403
00:30:42,173 --> 00:30:46,553
he's not real sure at this point
exactly what he's facing.
404
00:30:52,058 --> 00:30:54,308
[in Japanese] Troops ready? Charge!
405
00:30:57,480 --> 00:30:59,610
[Ledbetter] Imagine you're a Takeda troop,
406
00:30:59,691 --> 00:31:01,111
you see the enemy in front,
407
00:31:01,192 --> 00:31:02,782
-you charge.
-[soldiers yelling]
408
00:31:02,861 --> 00:31:04,491
[in Japanese] Fire!
409
00:31:06,364 --> 00:31:09,124
[Ledbetter] You start to get hit
with musket fire.
410
00:31:12,245 --> 00:31:14,405
-[groans]
-And then arrow fire.
411
00:31:15,582 --> 00:31:16,712
[in Japanese] Charge!
412
00:31:17,375 --> 00:31:21,585
[Ledbetter] Leaders are encouraging you,
and you reach the first line of obstacles,
413
00:31:21,671 --> 00:31:24,761
and there are barricades
that you have to maneuver around.
414
00:31:25,341 --> 00:31:26,381
[in Japanese] Now!
415
00:31:27,594 --> 00:31:30,224
[Ledbetter] Meanwhile, the gunfire
is getting more intense.
416
00:31:30,305 --> 00:31:32,265
The arrows are starting to hit home.
417
00:31:32,348 --> 00:31:35,388
Your compatriots to your left
and your right are getting hit.
418
00:31:36,603 --> 00:31:40,063
The only way to get through this
is to get through these obstacles
419
00:31:40,148 --> 00:31:43,228
and engage with the enemy
and go hand-to-hand.
420
00:31:44,277 --> 00:31:45,357
[in Japanese] Attack!
421
00:31:45,445 --> 00:31:46,275
[soldier yells]
422
00:31:46,362 --> 00:31:48,362
-[soldiers battling]
-[arquebuses firing]
423
00:31:51,451 --> 00:31:54,001
[Meyer] Katsuyori keeps
sending troops forward.
424
00:31:54,621 --> 00:31:57,121
As long as he keeps up
that frontal attack,
425
00:31:57,206 --> 00:32:00,286
his enveloping maneuver
still has a chance of succeeding.
426
00:32:00,376 --> 00:32:01,876
[soldiers yelling]
427
00:32:03,922 --> 00:32:07,382
You have bullets and arrows
flying all over the place.
428
00:32:08,676 --> 00:32:11,846
Smoke obscuring views,
getting in your eyes.
429
00:32:13,014 --> 00:32:14,564
[soldiers yelling]
430
00:32:23,691 --> 00:32:28,201
They get hit from the side
with an onslaught
431
00:32:28,279 --> 00:32:31,029
of Oda foot soldiers coming at them.
432
00:32:31,824 --> 00:32:34,544
With their spears, their pikes.
433
00:32:34,619 --> 00:32:36,449
The Takeda are torn to shreds.
434
00:32:37,705 --> 00:32:41,665
This speaks to the fact that
Nobunaga's plan was to suck them in
435
00:32:41,751 --> 00:32:44,171
and basically hold them in this kill zone.
436
00:32:48,925 --> 00:32:51,715
Katsuyori is unwilling
at this point to give up.
437
00:32:51,803 --> 00:32:53,893
So he sends in the next wave.
438
00:32:53,972 --> 00:32:59,192
This happens three, four, five times,
and it's tearing the Takeda up.
439
00:32:59,727 --> 00:33:02,647
-[yells]
-[Ledbetter] This is pure slaughter.
440
00:33:09,529 --> 00:33:10,819
[in Japanese] Keep going!
441
00:33:11,364 --> 00:33:14,244
[Meyer] As the day goes on,
it becomes clearer and clearer
442
00:33:14,325 --> 00:33:15,785
to the Takeda clan retainers,
443
00:33:15,868 --> 00:33:17,038
they won't win.
444
00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:18,540
[soldiers yelling]
445
00:33:19,414 --> 00:33:22,294
[Meyer] And so,
many of them start to fall back,
446
00:33:22,375 --> 00:33:23,375
to retreat,
447
00:33:23,459 --> 00:33:28,549
and this really is the most dangerous
moment in any battle across human history,
448
00:33:28,631 --> 00:33:32,181
because when one side turns
and starts to run from the other,
449
00:33:32,260 --> 00:33:34,140
that's when the real killing starts.
450
00:33:36,264 --> 00:33:38,524
[Ledbetter] Katsuyori doesn't
want to retreat.
451
00:33:38,599 --> 00:33:40,439
He’s committed to fighting or dying.
452
00:33:41,477 --> 00:33:43,227
But as his forces disintegrate…
453
00:33:43,312 --> 00:33:44,402
[in Japanese] Charge!
454
00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,780
…his subordinate commanders
plead with him to escape,
455
00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:51,700
until one of them puts him on his horse,
456
00:33:52,447 --> 00:33:53,407
shoves him north,
457
00:33:54,198 --> 00:34:00,538
and Katsuyori is able to get back to his
own lands with a handful of his forces.
458
00:34:03,291 --> 00:34:05,041
[laughs]
459
00:34:05,126 --> 00:34:09,296
[Ledbetter] Over the course of the battle,
10,000 soldiers
460
00:34:09,380 --> 00:34:12,300
of Katsuyori's
are left dead on the battlefield.
461
00:34:12,383 --> 00:34:14,643
Many of the Takeda leadership…
462
00:34:16,179 --> 00:34:19,519
the generals
that had served Shingen for so long,
463
00:34:19,599 --> 00:34:23,479
were lying dead with their troops.
464
00:34:28,775 --> 00:34:34,025
Nagashino is often seen as
a watershed battle in global history
465
00:34:34,113 --> 00:34:40,083
because of Nobunaga’s supposed
technique of rotating volley fire.
466
00:34:40,161 --> 00:34:41,331
[groans]
467
00:34:41,412 --> 00:34:45,832
[Ledbetter] What’s really impressive
is Nobunaga’s organization
468
00:34:45,917 --> 00:34:47,837
to develop this plan,
469
00:34:48,503 --> 00:34:52,923
to effectively use obstacles in a way
that modern armies train today,
470
00:34:53,633 --> 00:34:56,473
and put all this together into one plan
471
00:34:56,552 --> 00:34:59,472
designed to completely
annihilate his enemy.
472
00:35:03,184 --> 00:35:06,314
[Bender] The Battle of Nagashino
was a resounding success
473
00:35:06,395 --> 00:35:13,105
for Nobunaga and Ieyasu because
it dealt this very severe blow to…
474
00:35:14,195 --> 00:35:17,735
one of the three major
remaining eastern daimyo,
475
00:35:17,824 --> 00:35:23,454
and the one who was
closest to Nobunaga's domains.
476
00:35:25,248 --> 00:35:28,578
[Ledbetter] Katsuyori has been
so psychologically traumatized
477
00:35:28,668 --> 00:35:29,538
by this event…
478
00:35:29,627 --> 00:35:30,837
[in Japanese] Leave now.
479
00:35:32,463 --> 00:35:34,673
…that this is really the last time
480
00:35:34,757 --> 00:35:37,837
he ventures
out of his own territory in force.
481
00:35:40,847 --> 00:35:44,017
[Bender] It took a few years
to fully eliminate the Takeda,
482
00:35:44,100 --> 00:35:47,480
but the writing was on the wall,
so to speak.
483
00:35:47,562 --> 00:35:53,692
They're never able to pose a serious
threat to Nobunaga after Nagashino.
484
00:36:00,199 --> 00:36:03,579
[Auslin] However, while this was
a resounding victory for Ieyasu,
485
00:36:03,995 --> 00:36:07,075
his success is undermined when
he finds out that his own wife,
486
00:36:07,165 --> 00:36:09,415
Tsukiyama, has been plotting
to betray him.
487
00:36:25,266 --> 00:36:27,226
[Downer] These letters were discovered.
488
00:36:28,019 --> 00:36:32,939
The story is that Nobunaga had inserted
some spies into Ieyasu's household.
489
00:36:33,024 --> 00:36:35,194
This is totally credible.
490
00:36:35,276 --> 00:36:38,066
Everybody had spies in every household,
friend or foe.
491
00:36:38,154 --> 00:36:41,244
And the maid of Lady Tsukiyama,
it is said,
492
00:36:41,324 --> 00:36:45,664
found these letters
and passed them on to Oda Nobunaga.
493
00:36:49,290 --> 00:36:54,590
[in Japanese] There wasn’t much evidence,
and it was largely speculation,
494
00:36:54,670 --> 00:36:57,220
but they could not ignore the issue.
495
00:36:57,298 --> 00:37:02,138
Therefore, Nobunaga
ordered Ieyasu to find a solution.
496
00:37:02,762 --> 00:37:03,642
Leave.
497
00:37:11,437 --> 00:37:12,647
[Tsukiyama gasps]
498
00:37:12,730 --> 00:37:15,690
[Kitagawa] Tokugawa Ieyasu
had to get rid of Lady Tsukiyama.
499
00:37:15,775 --> 00:37:16,975
[in Japanese] Let me go!
500
00:37:17,818 --> 00:37:18,738
Let me go!
501
00:37:18,819 --> 00:37:20,949
[Kitagawa] So Ieyasu decided to expel her.
502
00:37:21,030 --> 00:37:25,410
But if she still survives,
then she might have done something more.
503
00:37:28,329 --> 00:37:30,329
[cries]
504
00:37:38,881 --> 00:37:40,471
-[blade slashes]
-[body thuds]
505
00:37:49,433 --> 00:37:51,143
Ieyasu takes it a step further.
506
00:37:51,227 --> 00:37:54,307
Ieyasu suspects his son
might attempt to do
507
00:37:54,397 --> 00:37:59,317
what a respectful, loyal son is supposed
to do and avenge his mother.
508
00:37:59,402 --> 00:38:02,862
So he orders his son
to be placed under house arrest.
509
00:38:06,742 --> 00:38:10,082
[Turnbull] But nevertheless,
under pressure from Nobunaga,
510
00:38:10,162 --> 00:38:14,922
Ieyasu was required to force
his own son to commit suicide.
511
00:38:17,420 --> 00:38:20,720
[Downer] Nobunaga at this point
was a very strong warlord,
512
00:38:20,798 --> 00:38:22,588
and Ieyasu had to do what he said.
513
00:38:22,675 --> 00:38:25,215
Also, Ieyasu needed
to maintain that alliance.
514
00:38:25,303 --> 00:38:26,803
It was absolutely vital.
515
00:38:26,887 --> 00:38:29,637
So, no matter what he thought, um,
516
00:38:29,724 --> 00:38:34,154
if Nobunaga ordered him to execute
his own son, he had to do so.
517
00:38:37,732 --> 00:38:41,152
[Turnbull] It was the most dreadful thing
that could be asked of him,
518
00:38:41,235 --> 00:38:44,655
and it affected his relationship
with Nobunaga
519
00:38:44,739 --> 00:38:46,569
for the rest of their days together.
520
00:38:51,662 --> 00:38:55,542
[narrator] The victory at Nagashino
makes Nobunaga the most powerful warlord
521
00:38:55,624 --> 00:38:56,714
in the nation.
522
00:39:00,463 --> 00:39:03,553
Most of Central Japan
is now under his control.
523
00:39:06,302 --> 00:39:10,972
His dream of uniting all of the nation
under his own banner is closer than ever.
524
00:39:12,767 --> 00:39:14,517
But it has come at a price.
525
00:39:14,602 --> 00:39:19,322
Increasingly paranoid,
Nobunaga now sees enemies everywhere.
526
00:39:23,402 --> 00:39:25,702
[Turnbull] The betrayal by Lady Tsukiyama
527
00:39:25,780 --> 00:39:31,830
did nothing but add to the fears Nobunaga
had of enemies all around him,
528
00:39:31,911 --> 00:39:37,671
which amounted almost to a paranoid
feeling that everyone wanted rid of him.
529
00:39:40,127 --> 00:39:45,167
[Ashmore] Put yourself into Nobunaga’s
position once he realizes this.
530
00:39:48,969 --> 00:39:50,889
[imperceptible]
531
00:39:52,098 --> 00:39:56,478
[Ashmore] Anyone tilling a field,
anyone walking down the streets,
532
00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:02,150
any one of the maids in his service
could be preparing poison for a drink.
533
00:40:02,233 --> 00:40:06,903
It’s a very sobering thought
to realize that you are not safe.
534
00:40:10,491 --> 00:40:14,581
[Turnbull] In fact, there had been
several attempts on Nobunaga's life.
535
00:40:15,788 --> 00:40:19,208
The attempted assassin
came from the province of Iga.
536
00:40:20,292 --> 00:40:24,052
And Iga Province was one of
the smallest provinces in Sengoku Japan.
537
00:40:27,216 --> 00:40:31,926
[Ashmore] For 150 years,
these people had governed themselves,
538
00:40:32,012 --> 00:40:36,272
keeping out any and all intruders
into their domain.
539
00:40:38,352 --> 00:40:39,772
[Turnbull] When they fought,
540
00:40:39,854 --> 00:40:42,944
they joined together
in self-governing communes,
541
00:40:43,023 --> 00:40:44,943
almost as a guerrilla army.
542
00:40:45,568 --> 00:40:51,198
And as such, they had raided Nobunaga's
lines of communication for several years.
543
00:40:51,282 --> 00:40:56,332
They were so good at these techniques
of irregular warfare,
544
00:40:56,412 --> 00:41:01,332
that this is what gave rise
to the legends of the ninja of Iga.
545
00:41:03,085 --> 00:41:07,335
They proved to be a thorn
in Oda Nobunaga's side.
546
00:41:08,757 --> 00:41:11,927
They had to go, by any means necessary.
547
00:41:12,011 --> 00:41:14,761
Nobunaga could not permit them to exist,
548
00:41:15,514 --> 00:41:20,024
for the sake of his own reputation
and the sake of his own security.
549
00:41:22,897 --> 00:41:25,317
[Turnbull] And it should have been
a pushover,
550
00:41:25,983 --> 00:41:29,823
but it turned out to be one
of the most vicious and bloody campaigns
551
00:41:29,904 --> 00:41:31,704
of Nobunaga's career.
552
00:41:38,162 --> 00:41:40,162
[closing theme plays]