1 00:00:15,849 --> 00:00:17,229 [suspenseful music playing] 2 00:00:24,024 --> 00:00:26,034 [groaning softly] 3 00:00:27,819 --> 00:00:29,149 [grunts] 4 00:00:30,113 --> 00:00:32,123 [groaning] 5 00:00:35,952 --> 00:00:37,952 [opening theme plays] 6 00:00:50,925 --> 00:00:52,925 [narrator] After unifying much of Japan, 7 00:00:53,303 --> 00:00:56,223 fearsome samurai Oda Nobunaga is dead. 8 00:00:58,183 --> 00:00:59,983 His loyal supporter Hideyoshi 9 00:01:00,060 --> 00:01:02,940 has launched a coup and seized power for himself. 10 00:01:04,898 --> 00:01:06,018 Enraged, 11 00:01:06,107 --> 00:01:09,437 powerful General Katsuie has launched his own bid 12 00:01:09,527 --> 00:01:10,777 to control the nation. 13 00:01:12,072 --> 00:01:14,492 He has moved to smash the three fortresses 14 00:01:14,574 --> 00:01:17,084 that guard the way into his enemy's lands. 15 00:01:18,161 --> 00:01:19,331 Two have fallen. 16 00:01:20,121 --> 00:01:23,041 The third, Shizugatake, remains. 17 00:01:25,376 --> 00:01:28,166 To seize it, he sends his nephew, Morimasa. 18 00:01:29,422 --> 00:01:32,682 If he succeeds, Hideyoshi is doomed. 19 00:01:34,552 --> 00:01:35,892 [wind whistling] 20 00:01:44,437 --> 00:01:47,437 [Turnbull] Sakuma Morimasa knew how important it was 21 00:01:47,524 --> 00:01:50,284 to capture the fortress Shizugatake… 22 00:01:53,404 --> 00:01:55,574 but the fortress held out. 23 00:02:02,580 --> 00:02:04,500 And the longer it held out, 24 00:02:04,582 --> 00:02:08,632 the more chance there was of Hideyoshi moving to its rescue. 25 00:02:08,711 --> 00:02:10,711 [dramatic music playing] 26 00:02:17,804 --> 00:02:21,184 [Meyer] The thing about any siege is that if you are the besieger, 27 00:02:21,266 --> 00:02:25,266 you are intensely vulnerable to an attack by a relief force. 28 00:02:25,353 --> 00:02:28,023 Your attention is all on this castle, as it should be, 29 00:02:28,690 --> 00:02:31,860 which means your back is pretty much to the rest of the world. 30 00:02:38,616 --> 00:02:41,696 [Turnbull] Shibata Katsuie was so concerned… 31 00:02:44,914 --> 00:02:51,004 that he sent a messenger to Sakuma saying, "Abandon the siege of Shizugatake. 32 00:02:51,087 --> 00:02:54,877 Occupy one of the other two fortresses that you've captured." 33 00:02:58,469 --> 00:03:02,219 [Ledbetter] Morimasa ignores the order. 34 00:03:02,307 --> 00:03:05,597 He believed that he had time to continue the siege. 35 00:03:12,942 --> 00:03:16,652 [Turnbull] "Shizugatake will be mine by nightfall" 36 00:03:16,738 --> 00:03:19,818 was the message he sent back to his master. 37 00:03:25,038 --> 00:03:27,248 Shibata was not convinced. 38 00:03:27,332 --> 00:03:28,462 [yells] 39 00:03:28,541 --> 00:03:29,581 [slams table] 40 00:03:29,667 --> 00:03:30,997 [breathes heavily] 41 00:03:31,085 --> 00:03:36,125 He knew that Sakuma Morimasa was very vulnerable to a rear attack 42 00:03:36,216 --> 00:03:38,126 by Hideyoshi's army. 43 00:03:40,303 --> 00:03:44,143 [Auslin] Even though he came from the lowest class of samurai warrior, 44 00:03:44,224 --> 00:03:47,894 Hideyoshi showed himself to be an incredibly strategic general. 45 00:03:47,977 --> 00:03:49,647 A master tactician. 46 00:03:51,064 --> 00:03:53,024 [Meyer] He's an very talented commander 47 00:03:53,107 --> 00:03:55,607 with a proven reputation on the battlefield. 48 00:03:59,906 --> 00:04:02,116 And, so, when messages arrive, 49 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:04,660 telling him what is happening at Shizugatake… 50 00:04:06,621 --> 00:04:10,461 he seems to have decided that this is a moment for him to seize. 51 00:04:11,251 --> 00:04:12,841 [in Japanese] It is time to go! 52 00:04:12,919 --> 00:04:18,929 Hideyoshi told the messenger that he would send reinforcements immediately, 53 00:04:19,008 --> 00:04:22,178 so they have to hold on. 54 00:04:23,263 --> 00:04:24,643 Follow me! 55 00:04:26,224 --> 00:04:28,234 [horse neighs] 56 00:04:29,852 --> 00:04:31,902 [Meyer] Hideyoshi has made his name 57 00:04:31,980 --> 00:04:34,860 because of his ability to move troops very quickly, 58 00:04:36,401 --> 00:04:39,281 and so he decides, if he can get a force to Shizugatake, 59 00:04:39,362 --> 00:04:42,572 he may have an opening here to counter-attack, 60 00:04:42,657 --> 00:04:46,617 to crush the besieging army and win a decisive advantage for himself. 61 00:04:53,042 --> 00:04:57,172 The first Sakuma Morimasa knew of what was going on 62 00:04:57,797 --> 00:04:59,917 was when he looked down into the valley… 63 00:05:00,008 --> 00:05:01,298 [soldiers marching] 64 00:05:02,385 --> 00:05:04,845 …to see hundreds of Hideyoshi samurai 65 00:05:04,929 --> 00:05:08,139 marching up the well-trodden mountain paths. 66 00:05:10,977 --> 00:05:13,647 It was a huge shock to Morimasa. 67 00:05:13,730 --> 00:05:16,440 He tried desperately to re-order his army, 68 00:05:16,524 --> 00:05:20,324 to put down a firm defensive line against Hideyoshi's mountain advance… 69 00:05:20,862 --> 00:05:22,112 [yelling] 70 00:05:23,406 --> 00:05:25,406 …but it was already too late. 71 00:05:26,743 --> 00:05:27,583 [groans] 72 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:32,920 [yells] 73 00:05:32,999 --> 00:05:35,589 Morimasa's men were completely disorganized. 74 00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:37,498 [yelling] 75 00:05:39,297 --> 00:05:43,297 [Turnbull] And Hideyoshi's army had the considerable advantage of surprise. 76 00:05:43,801 --> 00:05:44,801 [groans] 77 00:05:50,308 --> 00:05:52,228 [groans] 78 00:05:55,188 --> 00:05:58,398 The Battle of Shizugatake was a particularly fierce one 79 00:05:58,483 --> 00:06:00,443 in terms of the hand-to-hand combat. 80 00:06:02,153 --> 00:06:04,283 A scene of utter carnage… 81 00:06:04,364 --> 00:06:05,244 [screams] 82 00:06:05,323 --> 00:06:07,583 …in a very confined space. 83 00:06:08,117 --> 00:06:09,287 [groans] 84 00:06:10,912 --> 00:06:11,832 [groans] 85 00:06:12,580 --> 00:06:14,080 [groans] 86 00:06:16,042 --> 00:06:17,292 [in Japanese] I have won. 87 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,090 Katsuie's life is in my hands! 88 00:06:22,215 --> 00:06:24,045 [yells] 89 00:06:24,133 --> 00:06:27,013 Soon, Sakuma's men were fleeing down the mountain 90 00:06:27,595 --> 00:06:30,765 for the security of Shibata's castle. 91 00:06:30,848 --> 00:06:33,728 Hideyoshi's army followed in pursuit. 92 00:06:41,901 --> 00:06:43,031 [groans loudly] 93 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:49,410 [Turnbull] After three days of siege, Katsuie knew that his cause was hopeless. 94 00:06:51,077 --> 00:06:57,457 [in Japanese] Katsuie eventually had to choose death. 95 00:06:57,542 --> 00:07:02,882 So, he committed seppuku. 96 00:07:11,597 --> 00:07:16,187 [Turnbull] Hideyoshi's victory at Shizugatake was a decisive battle. 97 00:07:17,061 --> 00:07:21,401 Hideyoshi was now the de facto ruler of Japan, 98 00:07:21,482 --> 00:07:25,322 and the inheritor of Oda Nobunaga's domain. 99 00:07:25,403 --> 00:07:27,413 [dramatic music playing] 100 00:07:29,949 --> 00:07:31,949 [thunder rumbling] 101 00:07:35,705 --> 00:07:37,705 [horse nickers] 102 00:07:42,170 --> 00:07:45,470 [Spafford] Hideyoshi is the rare figure in political history 103 00:07:45,548 --> 00:07:49,138 who can actually be said to have had a vision, 104 00:07:49,218 --> 00:07:52,718 to have had a sense of new possibilities 105 00:07:52,805 --> 00:07:54,885 beyond what everybody had experienced. 106 00:07:59,437 --> 00:08:00,977 [Auslin] We have to remember 107 00:08:01,063 --> 00:08:04,783 that civil war had, by this time, been raging for a century in Japan. 108 00:08:05,359 --> 00:08:07,819 There's no one alive in Japan who hasn't seen war, 109 00:08:07,904 --> 00:08:11,414 and Hideyoshi is trying to create a stable political system, 110 00:08:11,491 --> 00:08:13,741 whereby the civil wars can come to an end. 111 00:08:16,287 --> 00:08:20,077 But even though Hideyoshi has become the most powerful daimyo in Japan, 112 00:08:20,750 --> 00:08:22,500 he is still in great danger. 113 00:08:22,585 --> 00:08:26,295 There are great daimyos who want to take power for themselves. 114 00:08:27,256 --> 00:08:28,756 Then there's Tokugawa Ieyasu, 115 00:08:30,009 --> 00:08:33,299 with whom he has to come to some type of a firm alliance. 116 00:08:37,308 --> 00:08:39,518 So, he's by no means out of the woods. 117 00:08:43,731 --> 00:08:47,611 [Ledbetter] While both of them fought together side-by-side with Nobunaga 118 00:08:47,693 --> 00:08:49,153 at many of his battles… 119 00:08:49,612 --> 00:08:50,452 [groans] 120 00:08:51,948 --> 00:08:55,578 …Ieyasu had not been so much a subordinate of Nobunaga, 121 00:08:55,660 --> 00:08:56,830 he was an ally. 122 00:08:58,454 --> 00:09:01,964 So, it was a little bit galling for Ieyasu 123 00:09:02,041 --> 00:09:04,541 to have one of Nobunaga's subordinates 124 00:09:05,169 --> 00:09:08,879 suddenly acting as if he was in charge of all of Japan. 125 00:09:10,925 --> 00:09:12,925 [dramatic music playing] 126 00:09:14,887 --> 00:09:17,007 [Segal] Ieyasu had his own ambitions 127 00:09:17,098 --> 00:09:18,718 to perhaps supplant Hideyoshi 128 00:09:18,808 --> 00:09:21,188 and become the most powerful man in Japan. 129 00:09:27,275 --> 00:09:29,605 He's a very patient strategist. 130 00:09:29,694 --> 00:09:33,114 He knows that he should only strike and only commit his forces 131 00:09:33,197 --> 00:09:35,407 when he has the preponderance of power. 132 00:09:37,743 --> 00:09:42,503 So, he has to make sure that he allies with the right daimyo to defeat Hideyoshi. 133 00:09:42,582 --> 00:09:46,132 Ieyasu sees that his best move is to throw his support 134 00:09:46,210 --> 00:09:49,590 behind Oda Nobunaga's second son, Oda Nobukatsu. 135 00:09:52,466 --> 00:09:55,046 [Turnbull] Oda Nobukatsu's claim was quite simply 136 00:09:55,136 --> 00:09:57,176 that he was the true heir of Nobunaga, 137 00:09:57,763 --> 00:10:01,183 and Hideyoshi had performed an illegal coup. 138 00:10:03,978 --> 00:10:08,688 [Oleg Benesch] Tokugawa Ieyasu saw allying himself with Oda Nobukatsu 139 00:10:08,774 --> 00:10:13,704 as an opportunity to potentially overthrow Hideyoshi before he became too powerful. 140 00:10:17,867 --> 00:10:20,487 And he probably feels that when the time is ripe, 141 00:10:20,578 --> 00:10:24,328 he will simply discard Nobukatsu and take power for himself. 142 00:10:27,460 --> 00:10:29,670 [Turnbull] It was quite a gamble for Ieyasu. 143 00:10:29,754 --> 00:10:33,724 He had a reputation for being a patient, careful thinker, 144 00:10:34,550 --> 00:10:38,260 but sometimes even the most patient people have to take risks, 145 00:10:38,846 --> 00:10:42,676 and this could have been one of the greatest gambles of Ieyasu's career. 146 00:10:47,813 --> 00:10:50,323 [narrator] With Nobukatsu's troops in support, 147 00:10:50,399 --> 00:10:54,609 Ieyasu leads his army against Hideyoshi's much larger force. 148 00:10:55,988 --> 00:10:57,988 There are several bloody clashes, 149 00:10:58,074 --> 00:11:00,244 but the fighting ends in stalemate. 150 00:11:00,326 --> 00:11:02,536 Ieyasu's plan has backfired. 151 00:11:04,372 --> 00:11:07,382 Now, hoping to salvage what he can of his army 152 00:11:07,458 --> 00:11:12,758 and potentially live to fight another day, the wily Ieyasu gambles once again. 153 00:11:13,631 --> 00:11:17,641 He decides to meet with Hideyoshi and see if they can make peace. 154 00:11:26,310 --> 00:11:27,940 [suspenseful music playing] 155 00:11:36,987 --> 00:11:39,657 [Auslin] Now, this is potentially fatal for Ieyasu. 156 00:11:39,740 --> 00:11:42,790 There's a chance that Hideyoshi is going to double-cross him. 157 00:11:57,425 --> 00:11:59,085 [Segal] Meeting with Hideyoshi 158 00:11:59,176 --> 00:12:02,636 provided the potential opportunity for Hideyoshi to have him killed. 159 00:12:05,266 --> 00:12:08,436 I have no doubt that neither man truly trusted the other. 160 00:12:22,283 --> 00:12:23,993 From Hideyoshi's perspective, 161 00:12:24,076 --> 00:12:27,036 there were some advantages to keeping Ieyasu around. 162 00:12:27,580 --> 00:12:31,130 He had a large standing army, was clearly a proven general. 163 00:12:31,208 --> 00:12:34,998 So, for him, there were benefits in having Ieyasu as a loyal ally. 164 00:12:39,175 --> 00:12:41,835 Ieyasu would nominally submit 165 00:12:41,927 --> 00:12:45,307 and acknowledge Hideyoshi as his superior, 166 00:12:45,389 --> 00:12:47,849 in return for an end to the hostilities 167 00:12:47,933 --> 00:12:50,983 and a position almost as Hideyoshi's right-hand man. 168 00:12:56,192 --> 00:12:59,992 [Auslin] They do the traditional thing, which is to trade hostages. 169 00:13:00,529 --> 00:13:04,069 Ieyasu gives his second son to Hideyoshi to be adopted. 170 00:13:09,538 --> 00:13:14,338 And Hideyoshi actually gives his mother, who he loved very dearly, to Ieyasu. 171 00:13:15,836 --> 00:13:19,126 The principle behind the hostage system was quite simple… 172 00:13:19,840 --> 00:13:24,550 If the other warlord broke the peace, then the hostages would be executed. 173 00:13:30,768 --> 00:13:34,978 [Auslin] Hideyoshi's gambling he'll be able to maintain this alliance with Ieyasu 174 00:13:35,064 --> 00:13:37,654 and that Ieyasu won't become too strong 175 00:13:37,733 --> 00:13:40,243 to one day challenge him for ultimate supremacy. 176 00:13:42,822 --> 00:13:47,792 After decades of civil war in Japan, none of these daimyo can trust each other. 177 00:13:48,369 --> 00:13:50,829 The change that has to come is where they accept 178 00:13:50,913 --> 00:13:53,623 that they can begin to live with each other, 179 00:13:54,250 --> 00:13:56,210 as opposed to destroy each other. 180 00:13:56,293 --> 00:13:59,303 And that's what you're seeing right at this moment. 181 00:14:06,595 --> 00:14:08,305 This very important alliance 182 00:14:08,389 --> 00:14:11,639 allows Ieyasu to protect Hideyoshi's eastern flank, 183 00:14:12,351 --> 00:14:16,231 which allowed Hideyoshi to concentrate on unifying the center of the country. 184 00:14:19,441 --> 00:14:22,991 But in order to unify the country, Hideyoshi needed legitimacy. 185 00:14:24,488 --> 00:14:26,488 [dramatic music playing] 186 00:14:30,202 --> 00:14:34,042 [Spafford] There's no question that Hideyoshi earned his place at the top, 187 00:14:34,123 --> 00:14:37,383 but obviously in a society that was still very conscious 188 00:14:37,459 --> 00:14:39,459 of title, of prestige, of bloodlines, 189 00:14:40,045 --> 00:14:43,505 Hideyoshi had what may have seemed like an insurmountable obstacle. 190 00:14:43,591 --> 00:14:46,641 [writing] 191 00:14:46,719 --> 00:14:51,099 [Garrett] True legitimacy in Japan comes ultimately from the figure of the emperor, 192 00:14:51,181 --> 00:14:57,061 but the emperor as a figure is one who is essentially a symbolic, 193 00:14:57,146 --> 00:14:58,686 rather than a ruling, figure. 194 00:14:58,772 --> 00:15:00,572 As a result, over Japanese history, 195 00:15:00,649 --> 00:15:03,989 authority has been held more often by prime ministers. 196 00:15:04,069 --> 00:15:07,159 In Hideyoshi's case, he saw that a way to legitimize his power 197 00:15:07,239 --> 00:15:09,069 would be to become prime minister. 198 00:15:13,329 --> 00:15:15,459 However, in order to become prime minister, 199 00:15:15,539 --> 00:15:17,459 one had to be of the correct lineage. 200 00:15:17,541 --> 00:15:20,961 You had to be from a specific branch of the noble Fujiwara family 201 00:15:21,045 --> 00:15:24,125 and Hideyoshi, of course, as the son of a peasant, was not. 202 00:15:26,675 --> 00:15:30,595 [Spafford] The Fujiwara had literally dominated the court 203 00:15:30,679 --> 00:15:32,769 for at least 400 years. 204 00:15:34,892 --> 00:15:38,602 Toyotomi Hideyoshi's strategy was to work very closely with the court. 205 00:15:48,697 --> 00:15:53,697 He was asking the court to present him with possible family lineages 206 00:15:53,786 --> 00:15:56,406 and other things that would help legitimize him. 207 00:15:59,249 --> 00:16:01,669 In return, he would help the court 208 00:16:01,752 --> 00:16:04,302 and help rebuild palaces that had been destroyed 209 00:16:04,380 --> 00:16:06,010 and build the court's prestige. 210 00:16:06,090 --> 00:16:08,090 [suspenseful music playing] 211 00:16:22,314 --> 00:16:25,484 Mysteriously, the court was able to find documents that proved 212 00:16:25,567 --> 00:16:30,277 that Hideyoshi was actually a descendant of the aristocratic Fujiwara family. 213 00:16:36,870 --> 00:16:41,540 He fabricated a new lineage for himself out of whole cloth. 214 00:16:47,756 --> 00:16:49,716 And by being adopted into the Fujiwara, 215 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,180 Hideyoshi was able to claim the title of Prime Minister. 216 00:16:53,262 --> 00:16:54,722 [dramatic music playing] 217 00:17:03,439 --> 00:17:07,899 [narrator] Hideyoshi's meteoric rise has made him the most powerful man in Japan. 218 00:17:09,945 --> 00:17:13,615 In just five years, he has managed to expand his territory 219 00:17:13,699 --> 00:17:16,739 from one-third of the nation to roughly half, 220 00:17:16,827 --> 00:17:19,197 and he is now keen to grab the rest. 221 00:17:19,913 --> 00:17:23,793 But powerful enemies still oppose his bid for total control. 222 00:17:24,626 --> 00:17:29,666 To the east, the Hōjō see themselves as Japan's rightful rulers 223 00:17:29,757 --> 00:17:32,047 and in the north, from within the Date, 224 00:17:32,718 --> 00:17:34,548 a new challenger is rising, 225 00:17:35,637 --> 00:17:38,057 a young, ambitious and fearless leader 226 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:41,020 who is determined to stand in Hideyoshi's way: 227 00:17:42,603 --> 00:17:44,193 Date Masamune. 228 00:17:52,362 --> 00:17:55,242 [Ashmore] As the eldest son of his clan, 229 00:17:55,824 --> 00:17:59,244 Masamune had a certain sense of entitlement, 230 00:18:00,579 --> 00:18:05,209 but that was exacerbated by the fact that, early in life, 231 00:18:05,292 --> 00:18:08,382 he was struck down by smallpox… 232 00:18:15,260 --> 00:18:18,470 which was seen as a commoner's disease. 233 00:18:19,681 --> 00:18:22,391 And not only did it affect his entire body, 234 00:18:22,476 --> 00:18:27,726 it also caused an infection in one of the tear ducts in his eyes, 235 00:18:27,815 --> 00:18:30,855 which caused the eye to protrude from his head. 236 00:18:35,989 --> 00:18:38,779 And almost immediately after he had been… 237 00:18:39,952 --> 00:18:41,752 named successor, 238 00:18:41,829 --> 00:18:44,409 his own mother attempted to have him assassinated 239 00:18:44,498 --> 00:18:46,538 and replaced by his brother. 240 00:18:48,752 --> 00:18:52,512 His still-damaged right eye 241 00:18:52,589 --> 00:18:56,299 made him, in her sight, less than a whole man. 242 00:19:04,852 --> 00:19:06,852 -[breathing quickly] -[squishing] 243 00:19:09,690 --> 00:19:10,900 [grunts] 244 00:19:11,567 --> 00:19:12,397 [groans] 245 00:19:12,484 --> 00:19:14,614 And in that moment, Masamune decided 246 00:19:14,695 --> 00:19:17,655 to just rip the eye clean out to remove that vulnerability. 247 00:19:17,739 --> 00:19:20,079 [groaning loudly] 248 00:19:30,627 --> 00:19:35,337 He has come to be known as Dokuganryu, the One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu. 249 00:19:38,427 --> 00:19:40,007 [groans] 250 00:19:40,095 --> 00:19:41,425 He demanded submission. 251 00:19:41,513 --> 00:19:45,063 He wanted power, and, most importantly, respect. 252 00:19:45,142 --> 00:19:46,522 [Masamune groans] 253 00:19:48,270 --> 00:19:50,650 [Ashmore] This became Masamune's driving force. 254 00:19:50,731 --> 00:19:51,821 [Masamune groaning] 255 00:19:51,899 --> 00:19:56,149 Those who were loyal to him, scarred and pockmarked as he was, 256 00:19:56,236 --> 00:19:57,446 could be counted on. 257 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,580 Anyone else was to be cut down. 258 00:20:01,658 --> 00:20:05,658 Masamune had to trample these people underfoot. 259 00:20:13,754 --> 00:20:17,804 Very early in Masamune's career, he faces his first serious challenge. 260 00:20:20,677 --> 00:20:25,467 [Ashmore] One of his father's closest allies, Ouchi Sadatsuna, 261 00:20:25,557 --> 00:20:28,977 was tempted away from the support of Masamune 262 00:20:29,061 --> 00:20:32,061 by the clan's old enemies, the Ashina. 263 00:20:32,981 --> 00:20:38,741 And I believe that Sadatsuna had seen in the young lord an unstable personality, 264 00:20:38,820 --> 00:20:40,910 who could not hold the clan together. 265 00:20:44,076 --> 00:20:48,366 Sadatsuna's rebellion had to be crushed immediately. 266 00:20:51,250 --> 00:20:56,760 And Masamune decides to act decisively and go to war against Ouchi Sadatsuna. 267 00:20:56,838 --> 00:20:58,378 [dramatic music playing] 268 00:20:58,465 --> 00:21:02,795 Masamune commands his forces to attack Odemori Castle. 269 00:21:05,472 --> 00:21:11,402 It was absolutely necessary that he send the most brutal statement of intent 270 00:21:11,478 --> 00:21:13,308 in his attack on the Ouchi. 271 00:21:13,897 --> 00:21:18,487 The strength of the blow would be a mark of the man himself. 272 00:21:20,904 --> 00:21:23,284 [Eason] After encircling the castle, 273 00:21:23,573 --> 00:21:24,533 [soldiers shouting] 274 00:21:24,616 --> 00:21:29,286 Masamune commanded his forces to slaughter all those within the castle walls. 275 00:21:32,499 --> 00:21:33,499 [groans] 276 00:21:38,297 --> 00:21:40,007 And Masamune writes that, 277 00:21:40,090 --> 00:21:42,930 "We spared no one, including women and children. 278 00:21:43,010 --> 00:21:45,180 Killing everyone, down to the dogs." 279 00:21:49,641 --> 00:21:50,731 [groans] 280 00:21:55,814 --> 00:22:00,614 The fact that Masamune would be willing to put everyone to the sword 281 00:22:00,694 --> 00:22:02,994 had to have a point behind it, 282 00:22:03,071 --> 00:22:06,451 and I think that point was the development of fear. 283 00:22:07,743 --> 00:22:14,463 A one-eyed monster descending on rebellious vassals 284 00:22:14,541 --> 00:22:16,591 to be taught the ultimate lesson. 285 00:22:17,169 --> 00:22:18,879 [groans] 286 00:22:23,258 --> 00:22:25,718 [Segal] Hideyoshi hears of Masamune's rise. 287 00:22:25,802 --> 00:22:29,892 He recognizes that Masamune is an up-and-coming force in the north. 288 00:22:29,973 --> 00:22:31,813 And he realizes that at some point, 289 00:22:31,892 --> 00:22:34,392 if things continue in the direction they're headed, 290 00:22:34,478 --> 00:22:38,068 the two men are going to have to either come to terms or go to war. 291 00:22:42,652 --> 00:22:45,912 [narrator] Hideyoshi's concerns about Masamune are confirmed 292 00:22:45,989 --> 00:22:50,119 when the One-Eyed Dragon unleashes a new wave of attacks against his rivals, 293 00:22:50,869 --> 00:22:53,619 plunging the north into all-out civil war. 294 00:22:55,332 --> 00:23:00,552 Masamune's actions help drive Hideyoshi to consider a bold new course of action, 295 00:23:01,213 --> 00:23:05,013 one he hopes will finally end the bloodshed of the last century 296 00:23:05,092 --> 00:23:07,932 and unify all of Japan under his banner. 297 00:23:08,762 --> 00:23:13,522 To make it a reality, this time he plans to use something other than the sword. 298 00:23:13,600 --> 00:23:15,600 [birds chirping] 299 00:23:16,978 --> 00:23:21,648 [Spafford] No sooner had Hideyoshi consolidated his own power 300 00:23:21,733 --> 00:23:25,113 then he started to produce legislation 301 00:23:25,195 --> 00:23:26,945 that was aimed at reshaping 302 00:23:27,030 --> 00:23:29,870 the fabric of Japanese society in the most profound ways. 303 00:23:41,044 --> 00:23:42,464 [horse neighs] 304 00:23:49,803 --> 00:23:54,393 One of the first really striking reforms that Hideyoshi carried out 305 00:23:55,100 --> 00:23:59,350 was to order what has come to be known as a "sword hunt." 306 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:08,660 [dog barking] 307 00:24:08,738 --> 00:24:09,738 [horse neighs] 308 00:24:10,907 --> 00:24:14,737 In other words, he sent out his emissaries throughout the countryside 309 00:24:14,828 --> 00:24:18,538 to requisition all weapons from commoners. 310 00:24:18,623 --> 00:24:21,793 In the late medieval period, weapons had been very widespread, 311 00:24:21,877 --> 00:24:25,507 and this is one of the factors that contributes to both instability 312 00:24:25,589 --> 00:24:27,259 and political resistance. 313 00:24:27,340 --> 00:24:30,640 It is much harder to resist the political rule of the warriors 314 00:24:30,719 --> 00:24:32,639 if you yourself have no weapons. 315 00:24:33,513 --> 00:24:35,813 [Spafford] So what he was doing, in a sense, 316 00:24:35,891 --> 00:24:39,731 was trying to stabilize the social structure of the country 317 00:24:39,811 --> 00:24:45,321 by creating a gulf between a heavily-armed warrior class elite, 318 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,030 which was a tiny minority, 319 00:24:47,110 --> 00:24:50,200 and a vast commoner population, 320 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:54,830 which was suddenly unable to resist the warrior class. 321 00:24:56,703 --> 00:24:59,163 There's some irony to this policy. 322 00:24:59,247 --> 00:25:03,707 The man, Hideyoshi, who rose possibly from being a commoner, a villager, 323 00:25:03,793 --> 00:25:08,553 all the way to the pinnacle of power was essentially disempowering his peers. 324 00:25:09,216 --> 00:25:12,386 He was essentially closing the door behind himself. 325 00:25:14,721 --> 00:25:16,221 -[blade slashes] -[man groans] 326 00:25:16,306 --> 00:25:17,636 [screams] 327 00:25:21,603 --> 00:25:24,653 Besides issuing these laws that would separate the classes 328 00:25:24,731 --> 00:25:27,231 and disarm the population against the samurai, 329 00:25:27,317 --> 00:25:30,237 Hideyoshi issues one other edict with huge consequences, 330 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:31,740 the so-called "peace edict." 331 00:25:31,821 --> 00:25:36,121 This edict would make it illegal for any daimyo independently to go to war, 332 00:25:36,201 --> 00:25:38,791 and instead left Hideyoshi as the only man in Japan 333 00:25:38,870 --> 00:25:42,120 who could decide when a war would start and how it would be waged. 334 00:25:56,012 --> 00:25:59,602 [Eason] Hideyoshi's all-encompassing peace edict 335 00:25:59,683 --> 00:26:03,273 seems to have only held temporarily in the north. 336 00:26:06,773 --> 00:26:12,283 By the late 1580s, Date Masamune had rapidly and dramatically 337 00:26:12,362 --> 00:26:14,862 expanded the power of the Date family. 338 00:26:28,628 --> 00:26:31,668 Hideyoshi's followers had conveyed to Date Masamune 339 00:26:31,756 --> 00:26:36,256 that if Masamune continued to engage in wars against his neighbors, 340 00:26:36,344 --> 00:26:38,854 Hideyoshi would have to take action against him. 341 00:26:41,725 --> 00:26:43,435 [chuckles] 342 00:26:43,518 --> 00:26:48,978 Hideyoshi simply expects that Masamune will fold to his command. 343 00:26:51,067 --> 00:26:52,687 [dramatic music playing] 344 00:26:59,284 --> 00:27:00,704 [straining] 345 00:27:01,870 --> 00:27:03,080 [Ashmore] And yet he doesn't. 346 00:27:03,872 --> 00:27:06,212 He will not bend. 347 00:27:14,257 --> 00:27:15,507 [wind whistling] 348 00:27:15,592 --> 00:27:20,062 Masamune wished to armor the north against the west… 349 00:27:21,556 --> 00:27:25,096 to wall in his domain and his allies 350 00:27:26,686 --> 00:27:30,936 and send a clear message to anyone, not just Hideyoshi, 351 00:27:31,024 --> 00:27:33,614 that the north was not to be trifled with. 352 00:27:37,155 --> 00:27:41,325 For Masamune, defeating the Ashina clan was one of his top priorities. 353 00:27:43,411 --> 00:27:47,501 [Eason] The Ashina family had a very long pedigree in the north. 354 00:27:47,582 --> 00:27:50,092 They were one of the most well-respected 355 00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:53,588 and highly-ranked families among the warriors in that region. 356 00:27:54,964 --> 00:27:57,764 [Segal] And Masamune always viewed the Ashina clan 357 00:27:57,842 --> 00:28:01,682 as one of his most important rivals and a serious threat. 358 00:28:02,263 --> 00:28:06,813 [Eason] If able to conquer the Ashina and seize their territories, 359 00:28:06,893 --> 00:28:09,603 Masamune would thereafter emerge 360 00:28:09,688 --> 00:28:13,268 as one of the most powerful landholders in the country, 361 00:28:13,358 --> 00:28:18,068 with control essentially over the entire northeastern portion of Japan. 362 00:28:18,154 --> 00:28:19,574 [dramatic music playing] 363 00:28:28,289 --> 00:28:31,289 [Ashmore] At the end of the 1580s, 364 00:28:31,376 --> 00:28:35,416 an interesting opportunity fell into Masamune's lap. 365 00:28:37,632 --> 00:28:41,432 An Ashina lord by the name of Morikuni 366 00:28:41,511 --> 00:28:44,101 defected to the Date, 367 00:28:44,180 --> 00:28:47,230 revealing that the Ashina themselves were, 368 00:28:47,308 --> 00:28:51,598 as a consequence of political infighting, 369 00:28:51,688 --> 00:28:53,308 greatly reduced. 370 00:28:55,608 --> 00:28:59,778 Even though the ban on inter-province warfare 371 00:28:59,863 --> 00:29:02,743 by Hideyoshi was now in effect, 372 00:29:02,824 --> 00:29:06,624 I think Masamune saw this as an opportunity 373 00:29:06,703 --> 00:29:09,753 far too tempting a prize not to pluck. 374 00:29:18,173 --> 00:29:20,763 [narrator] Masamune knows victory over the Ashina 375 00:29:20,842 --> 00:29:24,052 will make him the most powerful lord in Northern Japan. 376 00:29:24,763 --> 00:29:26,683 But victory is far from certain. 377 00:29:27,307 --> 00:29:29,017 The Ashina are ferocious, 378 00:29:29,100 --> 00:29:32,230 and if he loses, he will face certain death. 379 00:29:33,438 --> 00:29:34,978 But, despite these risks, 380 00:29:35,064 --> 00:29:38,034 he invades with a force of over 20,000 men. 381 00:29:39,194 --> 00:29:41,744 A slightly smaller number of Ashina warriors 382 00:29:41,821 --> 00:29:44,031 are dispatched to intercept him, 383 00:29:44,115 --> 00:29:45,825 setting the stage for what will be 384 00:29:45,909 --> 00:29:48,579 one of the most notorious battles of the age. 385 00:29:57,587 --> 00:30:00,837 When the Date forces invade Izu, 386 00:30:00,924 --> 00:30:05,474 they meet the defenders at a place known as Suriagehara. 387 00:30:09,182 --> 00:30:13,272 Masamune retreats with his cavalry guard to the rear, 388 00:30:13,353 --> 00:30:16,903 and the two forces settle down for the night 389 00:30:16,981 --> 00:30:19,231 and raise their own defenses. 390 00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:24,607 Masamune was certain that this was going to be a massacre 391 00:30:24,697 --> 00:30:28,237 the likes of which the Ashina had never known. 392 00:30:29,661 --> 00:30:31,081 [Eason] As dawn broke, 393 00:30:31,162 --> 00:30:34,002 Ashina forces confront the Date forces head on. 394 00:30:34,082 --> 00:30:35,882 [soldiers shouting] 395 00:30:35,959 --> 00:30:37,999 They were in a press of melee, 396 00:30:38,086 --> 00:30:42,256 fighting in a savage, hand-to-hand brawl. 397 00:30:42,924 --> 00:30:44,014 [groans] 398 00:30:48,596 --> 00:30:52,516 But just after dawn, a great dust storm erupts… 399 00:30:54,727 --> 00:30:58,307 and blows straight into the eyes of these troops. 400 00:30:58,398 --> 00:30:59,438 [groans] 401 00:31:01,568 --> 00:31:02,688 [groans] 402 00:31:03,361 --> 00:31:05,411 And things at this point go very badly. 403 00:31:06,823 --> 00:31:08,283 [grunts] 404 00:31:08,366 --> 00:31:09,486 [groans] 405 00:31:10,326 --> 00:31:15,036 By mid-morning, the Date lines are beginning to crumble. 406 00:31:19,210 --> 00:31:20,300 [screams] 407 00:31:26,092 --> 00:31:32,182 Masamune recognized very clearly that the fate of his clan was in jeopardy. 408 00:31:33,516 --> 00:31:35,176 [horse nickers] 409 00:31:35,268 --> 00:31:41,438 Masamune himself rode to the front on the left flank with his cavalry bodyguard. 410 00:31:41,524 --> 00:31:43,364 [soldiers battling] 411 00:31:48,865 --> 00:31:49,865 [screams] 412 00:31:52,869 --> 00:31:57,919 And they hit the Ashina flank with the force of a hammer. 413 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:00,040 [man screams] 414 00:32:10,345 --> 00:32:11,465 [grunts] 415 00:32:11,554 --> 00:32:15,184 [Ashmore] All they had to do was encircle their opponents 416 00:32:15,266 --> 00:32:17,136 and cut them down where they stood. 417 00:32:17,602 --> 00:32:18,772 [men screaming] 418 00:32:20,939 --> 00:32:24,529 This was no battle. This was a massacre. 419 00:32:27,445 --> 00:32:29,445 [groans] 420 00:32:30,406 --> 00:32:31,866 -[blade slicing] -[groans] 421 00:32:38,623 --> 00:32:41,253 [in Japanese] Victory! 422 00:32:41,334 --> 00:32:42,884 [men cheering] 423 00:32:46,547 --> 00:32:49,547 [Ashmore] According to the records of the battle, 424 00:32:49,634 --> 00:32:54,184 over 2,500 heads were taken 425 00:32:54,263 --> 00:32:58,103 and formally displayed for Masamune after the battle. 426 00:32:58,768 --> 00:33:02,768 Here was a man who was willing to take chances to win what was his. 427 00:33:06,526 --> 00:33:08,776 [Segal] Having won against the Ashina, 428 00:33:08,861 --> 00:33:11,111 who really were a major power in the north, 429 00:33:11,197 --> 00:33:13,697 Masamune now takes on that title himself 430 00:33:13,783 --> 00:33:16,833 and becomes the most powerful warlord of the northern region. 431 00:33:17,620 --> 00:33:18,830 [screams] 432 00:33:19,956 --> 00:33:21,866 This makes him a very powerful force. 433 00:33:21,958 --> 00:33:24,588 He is somebody to be watched and to be reckoned with. 434 00:33:25,420 --> 00:33:30,130 For Hideyoshi, Masamune's presence was something he could no longer ignore. 435 00:33:40,059 --> 00:33:43,399 [narrator] Less than a year after the Battle of Suriagehara, 436 00:33:43,479 --> 00:33:47,979 Hideyoshi and his immense army ride north to Masamune's own doorstep. 437 00:33:48,860 --> 00:33:51,700 Hideyoshi's target is the Hōjō clan, 438 00:33:51,779 --> 00:33:54,909 one of the last warrior families to oppose his rule. 439 00:33:55,783 --> 00:34:00,713 Hideyoshi's forces lay siege to the Hōjō stronghold, Odawara Castle. 440 00:34:01,330 --> 00:34:03,000 As a test of loyalty, 441 00:34:03,082 --> 00:34:07,592 Hideyoshi orders all other northern daimyo to swear allegiance to him 442 00:34:07,670 --> 00:34:10,210 and join him in the battle against the Hōjō. 443 00:34:10,715 --> 00:34:12,925 Nearly all of them agree immediately. 444 00:34:13,468 --> 00:34:15,848 But one dares to delay his response. 445 00:34:23,061 --> 00:34:27,611 [Ashmore] Having ignored all of Hideyoshi's previous orders 446 00:34:27,690 --> 00:34:29,030 to attend court, 447 00:34:29,108 --> 00:34:33,488 the Date lord now receives one missive from Hideyoshi. 448 00:34:33,571 --> 00:34:35,571 [dramatic music playing] 449 00:34:38,201 --> 00:34:43,501 An order to join him at the siege of the Hōjō castle of Odawara. 450 00:34:46,584 --> 00:34:50,594 His attendance at the siege was merely a formality. 451 00:34:50,671 --> 00:34:52,881 Obedience to Hideyoshi. 452 00:34:53,883 --> 00:34:56,303 Here was the final gamble. 453 00:35:00,264 --> 00:35:03,774 Masamune was well aware that if Hideyoshi defeated the Hōjō, 454 00:35:03,851 --> 00:35:05,441 he would be the next target, 455 00:35:05,520 --> 00:35:08,900 and that was a battle that Masamune was well aware he could not win. 456 00:35:16,489 --> 00:35:19,779 [Ashmore] Masamune would go to the siege of Odawara. 457 00:35:22,578 --> 00:35:24,538 But it would be on his terms. 458 00:35:26,833 --> 00:35:28,843 [dramatic music playing] 459 00:35:30,378 --> 00:35:33,088 He packed up his army and set off 460 00:35:33,172 --> 00:35:36,552 on a slow march across country to the siege. 461 00:35:37,218 --> 00:35:38,638 [Meyer] He makes many excuses: 462 00:35:38,719 --> 00:35:41,679 "The roads are bad." "I'm delayed by this or that." 463 00:35:42,431 --> 00:35:46,641 It's very possible that Masamune felt Hideyoshi might win, he might not. 464 00:35:46,727 --> 00:35:49,017 And before he commits to either side, 465 00:35:49,105 --> 00:35:52,315 he wants to see who he thinks has an advantage. 466 00:36:00,158 --> 00:36:03,658 [Ledbetter] Eventually, Hideyoshi has mobilized so many resources 467 00:36:03,744 --> 00:36:05,294 and so many men, 468 00:36:05,371 --> 00:36:09,131 that Hideyoshi would defeat the Hōjō and take Odawara. 469 00:36:12,170 --> 00:36:13,130 [chuckles softly] 470 00:36:16,007 --> 00:36:17,047 [blade slashes] 471 00:36:23,347 --> 00:36:24,557 [wind whistling] 472 00:36:25,516 --> 00:36:27,516 [horse approaching] 473 00:36:34,817 --> 00:36:38,567 [Ashmore] Eventually, Masamune and his troops arrive 474 00:36:38,654 --> 00:36:40,704 at Hideyoshi's base camp… 475 00:36:42,658 --> 00:36:49,618 clad in his finest, white, long kimono and bearing only a short sword. 476 00:36:49,707 --> 00:36:52,497 White represents purity, 477 00:36:52,585 --> 00:36:55,585 and, in this context, it represents death, 478 00:36:55,671 --> 00:36:58,801 reinforced by him carrying his short sword… 479 00:37:00,593 --> 00:37:04,473 which he would use to commit ritual suicide, 480 00:37:04,555 --> 00:37:06,305 should Hideyoshi order it. 481 00:37:10,519 --> 00:37:13,809 Perhaps this was an acknowledgment that he might be put to death 482 00:37:13,898 --> 00:37:18,438 for his unwillingness to join the Hideyoshi forces prior to this. 483 00:37:19,111 --> 00:37:22,491 Perhaps it was a ploy to try to win Hideyoshi's sympathy. 484 00:37:22,573 --> 00:37:26,543 But he certainly was not cowardly in any way in his approach. 485 00:37:39,548 --> 00:37:41,378 [Ashmore] Hideyoshi has Masamune 486 00:37:41,467 --> 00:37:45,967 placed before a tribunal of his greatest generals, 487 00:37:46,055 --> 00:37:48,385 including Tokugawa Ieyasu. 488 00:37:52,103 --> 00:37:56,653 And they question him about why he didn't acknowledge Hideyoshi's position sooner 489 00:37:56,732 --> 00:37:58,532 or respond to Hideyoshi's missives. 490 00:37:59,110 --> 00:38:01,650 And Masamune tries to play this off, saying, 491 00:38:01,737 --> 00:38:03,777 "I'm just a bit of a country bumpkin. 492 00:38:03,864 --> 00:38:07,454 I'm not used to the ways of great leaders like yourselves." 493 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:17,000 [yells] 494 00:38:18,921 --> 00:38:21,091 Even in the face of death, 495 00:38:21,173 --> 00:38:24,473 Masamune does not give one inch. 496 00:38:25,720 --> 00:38:26,970 He is here, 497 00:38:27,680 --> 00:38:29,310 and he has given his reasons, 498 00:38:29,390 --> 00:38:32,640 and if the reasons aren't sufficient, he's ready to die for them. 499 00:38:35,896 --> 00:38:38,396 But he will not bend to anyone. 500 00:38:40,234 --> 00:38:42,454 [in Japanese] If you'd been a little later, 501 00:38:42,528 --> 00:38:44,448 your head would have been chopped off. 502 00:38:45,990 --> 00:38:47,910 -[Matsamune] I understand. -[laughing] 503 00:38:49,952 --> 00:38:51,122 [laughs] 504 00:38:51,203 --> 00:38:53,543 [Segal] And so Hideyoshi spared his life. 505 00:38:57,460 --> 00:38:58,710 [exhales] 506 00:39:00,838 --> 00:39:02,508 [in Japanese] I like you. 507 00:39:04,216 --> 00:39:07,296 [Eason] Hideyoshi seems to have sensed 508 00:39:07,386 --> 00:39:11,846 that Masamune could be a far greater asset for him in the future 509 00:39:11,932 --> 00:39:12,852 if left alive. 510 00:39:18,022 --> 00:39:19,272 [in Japanese] Thank you. 511 00:39:20,858 --> 00:39:22,188 Bring some sake. 512 00:39:22,276 --> 00:39:25,606 [laughing] 513 00:39:26,197 --> 00:39:28,987 [Auslin] Hideyoshi figured out a way to neutralize Masamune, 514 00:39:29,075 --> 00:39:34,455 and he does it without the final, all-consuming, apocalyptic bloodbath 515 00:39:34,538 --> 00:39:36,578 that many assumed would have to happen. 516 00:39:36,665 --> 00:39:39,495 He forces his enemies to come to the table. 517 00:39:39,585 --> 00:39:43,005 He forces his enemies to agree to this political equilibrium. 518 00:39:43,089 --> 00:39:44,299 In essence, what he does, 519 00:39:44,382 --> 00:39:47,262 is he forces the great daimyo to agree it's time to stop. 520 00:39:47,343 --> 00:39:49,143 It's time to stop this civil war. 521 00:39:50,221 --> 00:39:54,101 [narrator] With Masamune brought to heel and the Hōjō defeated, 522 00:39:54,183 --> 00:39:57,653 Hideyoshi has finally achieved what Nobunaga could not. 523 00:39:59,563 --> 00:40:03,283 For the first time in over 120 years, 524 00:40:03,359 --> 00:40:05,739 all of Japan is ruled by one warlord. 525 00:40:08,114 --> 00:40:11,954 Through his daring use of violence, politics and diplomacy, 526 00:40:12,034 --> 00:40:15,874 a man born a peasant has climbed to the very peak of power. 527 00:40:20,292 --> 00:40:22,292 [birds chirping] 528 00:40:30,344 --> 00:40:36,434 Hideyoshi, by around 1590, is confronting a kind of ironic problem, 529 00:40:36,517 --> 00:40:40,017 which is he has been so successful, so swiftly, 530 00:40:40,104 --> 00:40:44,534 and he has this now huge following of daimyo, 531 00:40:44,608 --> 00:40:48,028 and he no doubt feels the need to keep them busy. 532 00:40:48,112 --> 00:40:50,112 [men battling] 533 00:40:52,491 --> 00:40:54,241 [Auslin] These men were conquerors. 534 00:40:55,786 --> 00:40:58,616 They had grown up in a society in which, 535 00:40:58,706 --> 00:41:00,536 if you didn't conquer, you died, 536 00:41:00,624 --> 00:41:03,504 and your family died, and your lands were taken from you. 537 00:41:06,005 --> 00:41:07,255 [screams] 538 00:41:11,177 --> 00:41:14,427 Once there's no more land to conquer in Japan, what do you do? 539 00:41:14,513 --> 00:41:16,643 That's really a conundrum for Hideyoshi, 540 00:41:16,724 --> 00:41:19,814 who has worked for decades now to end the war. 541 00:41:19,894 --> 00:41:21,524 What do you do with the samurai? 542 00:41:21,604 --> 00:41:23,614 [dramatic music playing] 543 00:41:32,406 --> 00:41:33,906 [Spafford] And so he conceives 544 00:41:33,991 --> 00:41:38,041 of a fantastical and completely megalomaniacal kind of proposition. 545 00:41:40,039 --> 00:41:43,169 [Auslin] For a warrior who had never made a mistake in battle, 546 00:41:43,250 --> 00:41:46,460 he's about to commit one of his greatest strategic blunders 547 00:41:46,545 --> 00:41:49,915 and bring on Japan one of the greatest catastrophes in its history. 548 00:41:50,674 --> 00:41:52,094 [groans] 549 00:41:54,595 --> 00:41:56,595 [closing theme plays]