Battle of Nagashino
1575 · Shitaragahara outside Nagashino Castle, Mikawa Province (present-day Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) · World · Modern
The Takeda army made repeated charges against the allied firearm positions protected by anti-cavalry palisades; after heavy losses it was routed, and many veteran generals were killed in battle.
Belligerents
Oda·Tokugawa allied army
- Commanders
- Oda Nobunaga, Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Strength
- About 38,000 (some say 30,000), with between 1,000 and 3,000 matchlock guns
Takeda army
- Commanders
- Takeda Katsuyori, Yamagata Masakage
- Strength
- About 15,000
Background
After the death of Takeda Shingen, his son Katsuyori besieged the Tokugawa-held Nagashino Castle. Oda Nobunaga led a large army together with Tokugawa Ieyasu to its relief, building anti-cavalry palisades at Shitaragahara and forming up behind them.
Course of the battle
- Siege of NagashinoTakeda Katsuyori besieged Nagashino Castle, and its commander Okudaira Nobumasa held out for relief.
- Deployment at ShitaragaharaThe allies built anti-cavalry palisades along the west bank of the Rengo River and massed large numbers of matchlock guns.
- Repeated chargesThe Takeda army charged the allied positions again and again and suffered heavy casualties under gunfire (the legendary "three-rank volley" tactic is said by some to be a later exaggeration).
- Takeda routIn the afternoon the Takeda army collapsed along the whole line; the allies gave pursuit, and Katsuyori escaped back to Kai with only a handful of men.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1575 |
|---|---|
| Place | Shitaragahara outside Nagashino Castle, Mikawa Province (present-day Shinshiro, Aichi Prefecture, Japan) |
| Result | The Takeda army made repeated charges against the allied firearm positions protected by anti-cavalry palisades; after heavy losses it was routed, and many veteran generals were killed in battle. |
| Winner | Oda·Tokugawa allied army |
| Casualties | Takeda losses were about several thousand killed (estimated; some say over 10,000), and senior retainers such as Yamagata Masakage and Baba Nobuharu were killed in battle. |
| Territorial change | Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated his hold on Mikawa and Totomi, while the Takeda clan went into decline and was destroyed by the Oda·Tokugawa allied army in 1582. |
Impact
The Battle of Nagashino is often seen as marking the point when firearms became decisive in Japanese warfare, and it hastened the end of the Sengoku period.
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