Turning Point - Sekigahara: Toyotomi's Global Expansion and its Consequences

PART 1: THE BATTLE OF SEKIGAHARA

Phase 01 - Prelude

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The first part is the Battle of Sekigahara, which will divert from our history.

- Katsumi Fusō

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Turning Point: Adoption

Hidetoshi Kinoshita, who was originally Hideyoshi Toyotomi's adopted son, was to be adopted into another family when Hideyori was born. This was a tragic consequence of being only partially connected to the lineage of a dictator.

Moreover, at this time, there were hidden dealings among the clans of Mōri, Kobayakawa, and Uesugi, vying to push Hidetoshi Kinoshita into their respective families. However, in the 3rd Year of Bunroku (1594), by order of Hideyoshi, he was adopted by Terumoto Mōri as his son. At that time, his official position was Chūnagon (Middle Counselor), and together with the Tang name 'Shikkingo,' for the office he received at his coming of age, 'Saemon no Kami,' he was referred to as Kingo Chūnagon.

At this point, Hidetoshi Kinoshita, who had changed his name to Hideaki Mōri, received a vast territory adjacent to the Mōri domain as his fief, becoming a daimyō with the same 100.000 koku as during his time as Hidetoshi. This was, in essence, a sum of money paid by Hideyoshi Toyotomi to the Mōri clan for adopting Hidetoshi, and it also expanded Mōri's domain. Otherwise, there would have been no way for the Mōri clan to accept Hidetoshi Kinoshita's adoption, even if only temporarily.

Furthermore, in the Kobayakawa clan, which did not adopt Hidetoshi Kinoshita as their heir, the adopted son, Hidekane, succeeded the family headship. Due to Takakage's early death, he became the lord of Chikuzen Province, ruling over 300.000 koku as Hidekane Kobayakawa. This greatly reassured the Kobayakawa clan, as they might have been taken over by Hidetoshi Kinoshita, or rather, the Toyotomi clan.

And so, history approached the early autumn of 1600, known as the Battle of Sekigahara.

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Phase 01: Prelude

In the 5th Year of Keichō (1600), a large-scale battle known as the Battle of Sekigahara erupted throughout Japan, starting in July of that year.

The immediate trigger was the subjugation of Aizu by Uesugi, but for everyone involved, it was merely a pretext. It escalated into a massive and wide-ranging conflict involving various daimyo from across Japan, with Ieyasu Tokugawa vying for control of the country, the rise of Ieyasu and the opposition from other daimyō who resisted his ascendancy.

The battle progressed at an unexpectedly rapid pace, catching everyone off guard. The sheer movement of massive armies made it challenging to sustain prolonged campaigns due to supply and logistics issues.

By the time a significant battle was likely to occur around the Nōbi Plain, the situation can be described as ripe for decisive action.

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Upon hearing the news of the fall of Gifu Castle by the Toyotomi loyalists, who were the vanguards of the Eastern Army, Ieyasu Tokugawa divided his main forces into two and sent them on separate advances from Edo and Northern Kantō. However, his strategic plan became increasingly uncertain in the final stages.

Firstly, the main force, comprising approximately 35.000 troops, was entrusted to his heir, Hidetada. However, this decision turned out to be unfavorable. Hidetada's army had been stationed in Utsunomiya, Northern Kantō, as the vanguard for the Uesugi campaign, serving as a check on the Uesugi forces in that region. As the decisive battle approached, Ieyasu directed this force to proceed along the Tōsandō route. However, they fell into the strategic trap set by Masayuki Sanada of Ueda, a domain that had sided with the Western Army, resulting in them getting stuck on the outskirts of the Tōsandō route, isolated and unsupported.