Битва при Сэкигахаре. Япония

Sekigahara, 1600
Strength
Western Army
Well
Eastern Army
Well
Ishida Mitsunari
84,400 89,300
Tokugawa Ieyasu
By Jonathan Webb, 2015

The battlefield consists of a somewhat marshy valley with hills on most sides. The steepest hills are Mount Sasao to the north and Mounts Momokubari and Nangu to the south, with the more gradual Mounts Tengu and Matsuo to the west. The widest lane into the valley is to the east along two roads, as well as three narrower lanes to the west and south along single roads. The only urban features are the towns of Tarui in the clearing to the east, and Sekigahara which sits directly in the center of the valley and all roads. Significant water features include Ikedari pond in the west as well as three rivers which run through the valley.
Western Army
(Ishida)
Eastern Army
(Tokugawa)
Mount Matsuo
Sekigahara
Teradani River
Tarui
Mount Sasao
Mount Tengu
Mount Nangu
Mount Momokubari
Ai River
Fuji River
Ikedari Pond

Eastern Army
(Tokugawa)
Ishida deploys his army all along the high ground surrounding the valley. Ishida deploys his own troops, Shimazu and Ukita in a blocking position to the west around Mount Tengu, Kobayakawa further south around Mount Matsuo, and Kikkawa and Mori to the southeast on the other side of Mount Nangu. Ishida plans to draw the Eastern Army into a box around Sekigahara, and then crush it with attacks from all sides.
Chosokabe
Kikkawa
Mori
Ikeda
Asano
Ukita
Tokugawa
Western Army
(Ishida)
Kobayakawa
Otani
Konishi
Shimazu
Ishida
Shima/Gamo
Kato
Husokawa
Kuroda
Tanaka
Tsutsui
Il Namosa
Matsudaira
Terazawa
Todo/ Kyogoku
Fukushima
Kato/ Tsutsui/Tanaka
Husokawa
Kuroda
Il Namosa
Fukushima
Ikoma
Ogawa
Yamanouchi
Todo/ Kyogoku
Asano
Husokawa
Kuroda
Matsudaira/ Il Namosa
Terazawa/ Fukushima
Kato/ Tsutsui/Tanaka
Kobayakawa
Kikkawa
Natsuka
Landmarks
Tokugawa deploys a sizeable vanguard around Sekigahara, his own troops in reserve, and a few contingents at the bottom of Mount Nangu opposite Western units. Tokugawa plans to simply attack and destroy the Western Army, relying on his own side’s superior spirit and treachery in the Western ranks: days before the battle, Tokugawa receives promises from Kikkawa that he and the Mori will not engage the Eastern Army, and from Kobayakawa that he will defect and support the Eastern Army when the battle begins.
As the morning fog lifts, Il Namosa charges ahead to engage Konishi on Mount Tengu, cutting in front of other Eastern units such as Fukushima, who also attacks, engaging Ukita nearby. Several Eastern generals attack the Western defensive palisade held by Shima and Gamo.
Eastern forces cut into Shima and Gamo, eventually engaging Ishida’s own troops. Around Mount Tengu, Fukushima’s arquebus fire causes heavy damage to Ukita’s ranks as the fight continues there. Otani descends Mount Tengu to hit Fukushima’s left flank but Todo and Kyogoku rush forward to engage his forces.
In the north, Ishida brings up 5 artillery pieces to fire into Kuroda and Husokawa; their fire is effective only psychologically as Eastern forces waver a little. Ishida orders Shimazu to attack, but he does not respect Ishida as a military commander, and refuses to move. In the center, Ukita forces Fukushima back down Mount Tengu as fierce fighting continues along the front. On the other side of Mount Nangu, Asano suddenly charges across the field to engage Natsuka. Meanwhile, Tokugawa brings his main body of his own troops forward to Sekigahara.
Kuroda leads some troops around the palisade to outflank Ishida’s forces, which move to meet this threat but are driven back along with Shima and Gamo. This reverse suddenly puts Shimazu’s troops in the front line where they are engaged by Il Namosa and Mitsudaira. Terazawa also enters the battle, hitting Ukita’s flank as he pushes Fukushima back. With Eastern forces engaged with the Western blocking position, Ishida signals for Kobayakawa to hit the Eastern left flank but his forces do not move. Otani suspects something is awry and adjusts his units accordingly.
Fighting reaches a critical point in the north: Eastern forces defeat Shima and Goma’s forces, the remnants melting into Ishida’s lines while Shimazu counterattacks Mitsudaira and Il Namosa. Ishida again signals Kobayakawa to hit the Eastern left flank; Otani even tries to prod him to move off Mount Matsuo. Kikkawa observes the signal but also does not move. Instead, Kobayakawa defects and leads his forces against Otani. Otani’s troops fire a deadly volley into Kobayakawa’s lead troops but Otani, already heavily engaged to the front, is overwhelmed and killed.
Kobayakawa continues to roll up the Western line, hitting Ukita’s forces in rear; Ukita plans on launching a final suicidal attack but his subordinates force him to leave the battlefield as his forces disintegrate. Inspired by Kobayakawa’s defection, more Western generals defect, including Ogawa and Kikkawa, whose latter defection also effectively precludes any Mori action.
Kobayakawa continues to roll up the Western line, next hitting Konishi in rear, who flees into the mountains. Shimazu’s forces begin a successful fighting retreat, striking Il Namosa with arquebus fire, forcing him to leave the battlefield. Tokugawa sees that victory is imminent and orders rear troops forward to ensure it. Ishida recognizes this as well and retreats northwest, circling south around the mountains to contact his unengaged troops on Mount Nangu. Upon hearing of the Western army’s disaster, these forces also retreat.
Mount Matsuo
Sekigahara
Teradani River
Mount Sasao
Mount Tengu
Mount Nangu
Mount Momokubari
Ai River
Fuji River
Ikedari Pond
Western Army
(Ishida Mitsunari)
84,400
Eastern Army
(Tokugawa Ieyasu)
89,300

Sekigahara, 1600
Casualties & Aftermath
Western Army:
Eastern Army:
40,000
or
48%
~7,500
or
8%
By Jonathan Webb, 2015
Tokugawa quickly exploited his victory, besieging and capturing Ishida’s home castle of Sawayama, Kobayakawa leading the main assault. Tokugawa captured and executed Ishida soon after. Tokugawa rewarded his supporting daimyo rich with lands from his enemies but, keeping in mind the conflicting loyalties many daimyo held toward the Toyotomi family, Tokugawa promised his granddaughter’s hand in marriage to Toyotomi Hideyori. In 1603, Tokugawa established himself as shogun. In 1615, Tokugawa attacked Osaka Castle and defeated a now teenaged Toyotomi Hideyori, removing the last obstacle to a lasting, stable regime under his leadership. The Tokugawa shogunate survived until 1857 when it was overthrown in the Meiji Restoration.