Battle of Awazu
date | February 21, 1184 |
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place | Awazu ( Ōtsu ), Ōmi Province , Japan |
output | Decisive win for Minamoto no Yoshitsune |
Parties to the conflict | |
---|---|
Armed Forces Minamoto no Yoshitsunes |
Armed Forces Minamoto no Yoshinakas |
Commander | |
Troop strength | |
10,000-20,000 men | 9,000-16,000 men |
losses | |
unknown |
unknown |
The Battle of Awazu ( Japanese 粟 津 の 戦 い , Awazu no tatakai ) on February 21, 1184 was a significant battle in Japanese history . On behalf of Minamoto no Yoritomo , Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Minamoto no Noriyori fought against Minamoto no Yoshinaka . By defeating his cousin Yoshinaka, Minamoto no Yoritomo secured a leading role in Japan and ended the power struggle within the Minamoto family.
prehistory
After his victory in the Battle of Kurikara , Minamoto no Yoshinaka ruled so brutally that his own clan rebelled against him. After hostilities broke out, he was driven from Kyoto by his cousins Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Noriyori. After a first defeat in the second battle on the Uji, Yoshinaka faced his enemies at Awazu (today: Ōtsu ).
battle
Yoshinaka's troops fought valiantly and were able to hold their positions for a long time despite the numerical superiority of their enemies. But after a hard fight their ranks began to break up and Yoshitsune and Noriyori were able to achieve victory. Both commanders on the other side fell: Yoshinaka was killed by an arrow shot after his horse sank in a rice field. Imai Kanehira, surrounded by enemies, fell from his horse with a sword in his mouth.
literature
- A History of Japan to 1334 , George Bailey Sansom, 1958, ISBN 0-8047-0523-2 .