1575, Battle of Nagashino. Nagashino Castle, owned by the Tokugawa clan, is besieged by the Tak

1575, Battle of Nagashino. Nagashino Castle, owned by the Tokugawa clan, is besieged by the Takeda clan. The besieging force is 15,000 men strong and lead by Takeda Katsuyori. A messenger manages to escape the siege and alerts Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu. The two form a relief force of 38,000 men, 10,000 of which are riflemen. As the Oda-Tokugawa force arrives, 12,000 of the Takeda troops break off to confront them. Though outnumbered, odds were still in favor of the Takeda. The Takeda were hardened from the rugged environment of their mountain home, and from years of a bitter rivalry with their neighbors, the Uesugi. They were especially feared for their cavalry, the bulk of which made up their force. Nagashino’s terrain was a plain, perfect for cavalry charges. The distance between both camps would’ve also been short on horseback. Added to that, rainy weather would have left enemy rifles useless. Nobunaga was widely considered a fool, his rise to power simply due to luck. Most assumed this battle would be the end of him and his lucky streak. To counter the odds, Nobunaga bet everything on his riflemen. Rifles at the time were undependable, rare and laughably inefficient in battle. Nobunaga used this oversight and his own notoriety to his advantage. Wooden palisades were built to protect rifle units and break up cavalry charges. Spear and swordsmen stood nearby as additional support. Riflemen formed three rows, the first row firing in unison and then retreating to the back to allow the next row to come forward and fire. This highly organized strategy would allow for an unrelenting volley of bullets. With weather and terrain on their side, the Takeda began their charge. As the cavalry crossed a small stream near the Oda-Tokugawa camp, they were surprised by a volley of gunfire. Nobunaga had small covers devised for the gunpowder to keep rifles functioning despite the rain. This unexpected strategy blindsided the Takeda cavalry and completely disrupted their attempts at charging. Any who made it past the barriers were met by spears and swords. Repeated charges proved useless as cavalry could make no advances on the field. After suffering 10,000 losses, the Takeda were completely broken and routed. This crushing defeat signaled to Japan that Nobunaga’s acquisition of power was no mere fluke and that his campaign to become Shogun was a reality. INSTAGRAM | DEVIANTART |  TUMBLR -- source link

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