All of us will fight against man‐eaters

Tuesday, 30 October 2012

outbreak of war

Negotiations between the Tokugawa shogunate and the Choshu clan finally broke down、and the spearhead of the Tokugawa shogunate army、whose main force was the navy、began an invasion of Ōshima in the Seto Inland Sea in the eastern part of the Choshu clan.

This attack was very easily successful、and this island became an attack base for the Tokugawa shogunate navy、but this was also due to the Choshu clan's strategic policy from before the war started of "regrettably、given the reality of our military's current military strength、we would abandon Oshima".

　

・・・・・・・・・

"Never tell him this fact.

Because we don't know what he will do if he finds out about this."

When negotiations with the Tokugawa shogunate broke down、such remarks were whispered within the Choshu clan government.

That "he" was、of course、Takasugi Shinsaku.

But he found out.

※Of course this is what I wrote (lol)、but this is unclear to me whether what Takasugi should not know about is "the policy of abandoning Oshima"、or "the fact that Oshima was occupied by the enemy".

If it was "the policy of abandoning Oshima," then Takasugi would have been left out of the loop of determining the basic strategic direction (lol).※

Incidentally、Takasugi had purchased a small steamship from a Western merchant without permission from the clan government.

(Basically、he seems to have tended to think that payment is something other people should think about.)

He named that ship "Otentosama maru".

Meaning of "Otentosama maru" is "ship of sun".

※If I had to choose one、"Otentosama" is in childish word for "the sun".

"We will now take back Oshima from the Tokugawa shogunate forces.'"

He headed for Oshima by just that small steamboat.

At that time、many warships of the Tokugawa Shogunate navy were moored at Oshima Port (although there were probably no modern facilities).

However、of course they did not expect that the Choshu clan would attack with just one small steamship.

※Rather than say、considering the naval strength ratio of both sides、they probably thought that the Choshu clan would not attack our base from them.※

Late at night、when the Otentosama maru、on which Takasugi and his crew were aboard、began its attack、all the warships of the Tokugawa Shogunate's navy had stopped their steam engines.

It was therefore a complete surprise attack.

※In short、the shogunate navy probably lacked experience.

I don't think there was a full-scale naval battle、but Takasugi and his crew had gained combat experience in the coup war.※

Takasugi continued to fire at enemy ships from close range while driving his ship.

As a result、the Tokugawa navy was thrown into chaos and fled from Oshima one by one.

Afterwards、platoons of Kiheitai armed with modern weapons landed on Oshima、drove out the shogunate infantry that had been left behind (though their armament level is unknown)、and recaptured Oshima.

・・・・・・・・・

"Let's all Choshu people defeat the invasion of the Tokugawa shogunate."

Before the outbreak of this war、such a declaration was made in the Choshu clan (it is currently unknown whether it was made in the name of the clan lord).

Feudal era was over already.

※As mentioned above、due to historical circumstances、it seems that many common people in the Choshu clan had an awareness that "we were originally Choshu samurai". 2023120415:31(japan time).

Wednesday, 31 October 2012

strongest

In addition to attacks from the sea (which failed due to Takasugi's counterattack)、the Tokugawa shogunate forces launched attacks into the Choshu clan from three directions.

Its main force was advancing along the coast of the Seto Inland Sea from Osaka.

Of course、the strongest corps of the Tokugawa vassals was in charge of vanguard in this area.

During the Sekigahara era (1600)、they were undoubtedly the strongest corps.

However、in the mid-19th century、its strongest samurai clashed with the Choshu militia and they were crushed.

※From what I remember、this corps was probably the corps of the Hikone clan (Ii Naosuke、who was assassinated、was the lord of this clan).

After the Takeda family、said to be the strongest during the Sengoku period、was destroyed by Oda Nobunaga、many of its vassals were incorporated (with Nobunaga's permission) into the corps of the Ii family、who had been vassals of the Tokugawa family. 2023120515:44(japan time).※

※Now、the following sentence is the sentence before "reconstruction". 2023120515:48(japan time).

※This means that antipathy against Tokugawa has increased.

That was 260 years ago、but this place which is a battlefield is originally home of the Mouri clan (Chochu).

By the way、I don't know now whether it matches the current Hiroshima prefecture、Hiroshima was the territory of the Asano clan.

This Asano is the head of the Asano clan of "Chushingura".

I think that it was originally a relative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife.

Perhaps、when their married、Asano's status were better than Hideyoshi.

At that time、both of them were Nobunaga's servant of Owari (current Aichi Prefecture).※

※So、I will "reconstruct" this sentence (basically relying on my memory).

I think the battle between these two took place outside of the Choshu clan、in what is now Hiroshima prefecture、and the antipathy of the common people in this area against the Tokugawa shogunate may have been a major factor in this unilateral victory for the Choshu clan (of course、the overwhelming difference in armament and tactics between the two is probably the biggest factor).

Before the defeat at the Battle of Sekigahara、260 years ago from at this point、this battlefield was originally the stronghold of the Mori (Choshu) clan (I think it was present-day Hiroshima City).

By the way、I don't know if it matches the current Hiroshima Prefecture、but at this time Hiroshima was the territory of the Asano clan.

This Asano is the main family of the Asano family in "Chushingura".

I think that the founder of the Asano clan was originally a relative of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's wife.

Asano's status at the time of their marriage was probably higher than Hideyoshi's.

And at the time、both were vassals of Oda Nobunaga of Owari (present-day Aichi Prefecture). 2023120516:16(japan time).※

・・・・・・・・・

　

On the front on the Sea of Japan side、the Choshu army clearly had the upper hand from the beginning of the war.

This front was meant to be a flank attack linked to the attack by the main force of the Tokugawa shogunate forces on the Seto Inland Sea side (a fair attack by the King's army)、and the lords of the area were ordered by the Tokugawa shogunate to attack the Choshu clan.

※By order of the Tokugawa shogunate、the government office of the Choshu clan was located in Hagi、on the Sea of Japan side、which was outside the mainstream of Japan at the time、but by this time、I think they had already moved their base to Yamaguchi、a little inland on the Seto Inland Sea side. 2023120516:58(japan time).

However、like the Hiroshima clan、most of them had no animosity towards the Choshu clan.

(The Hiroshima clan was originally sympathetic to the Choshu clan from beginning to end.)

Above all、all the information that reached them was about successive defeats of the Tokugawa shogunate forces.

They continued to retreat.

※By the way、揺動攻撃👉Rocking attack

Somehow cool(lol).※

・・・・・・・・・

A situation that no one、including the Choshu clan、had expected、the unilateral defeat of the Tokugawa shogunate forces、was beginning to appear before their eyes as a reality.

"Military defeat of the national army against the military power of one small region of Japan.

That's very bad. "

Britain's doubts about the Tokugawa shogunate's ability to govern turned into conviction with great surprise.

Well、on the other side of the Choshu clan、across the Shimonoseki Strait、is Kokura、Kyushu Island.

A Tokugawa shogunate minister arrived there as a commander.

※At least at this point、Britain seemed to think of Japan purely as a huge market (not for opium・lol)、and therefore had a strong desire for political stability in Japan. 2023121008:32(japan time).