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After more than a century
of civil war,
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi has united Japan.
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His rivals have
either sworn their allegiance,
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or they have been destroyed.
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Despite this fledgling peace,
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Hideyoshi now dreams
of a bold and outlandish plan
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to make himself
the most powerful man in Asia.
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Japan had been at war for so long.
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By this time,
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we're talking about several generations
that only knew warfare.
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The rivers of Japan ran red with blood.
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Fields were covered in lakes of blood.
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And Hideyoshi was the one
who ended this nightmare for Japan.
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He'd unified the country,
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he had ended the civil war,
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he had created what seemed
to be a stable political equilibrium,
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but you have a society
filled with samurai
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and filled with daimyo,
who know nothing but war.
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The question was, "What do I do
with this enormous military machine
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now that it has nothing to do?"
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And, so, this concern, I think,
feeds into an increasingly runaway ego.
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I mean, again, this is a man
who came up from nothing
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and got to the pinnacle
of power in Japan…
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and he, I think,
thinks he can do no wrong.
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And so he conceives
of a proposition of conquering China.
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China was, for the Japanese,
sort of the touchstone of civilization.
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It represented the center of the world,
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and had traditionally always looked down
on the Japanese,
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so if you conquered China,
you'd be the greatest warlord in history.
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Prepare the men.
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I think, in a lot of ways,
actually, his invasion of China
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is the ultimate act of self-regard,
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in the same way we sometimes
think of Napoleon Bonaparte
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or Alexander the Great,
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building empires out of a desire to
etch their name in the records of history.
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This is his chance to be the man
who not only reunified Japan,
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but who carries his battle standard
all the way across the sea.
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Quite a lot of people were opposed
to Hideyoshi's plans to invade China.
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And one of those was his wife, Nene.
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She was extremely intelligent,
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very insightful,
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pretty strong-minded,
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and she was the most important
person in Hideyoshi's life.
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He involved Nene
in every single decision he was making.
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She pushes back
against this idea of an invasion.
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"It's too difficult.
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It's too likely that, if it fails,
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everything we've built in Japan
will come crashing down."
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Nene foresaw the catastrophe
to come because of this invasion.
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She was alarmed and she tried
her hardest to stop Hideyoshi.
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No matter what Nene said,
Hideyoshi was absolutely determined
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to go ahead with his plans.
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No one was able to stop Hideyoshi.
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Hideyoshi realizes
that in order to get to China,
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he's gonna have to march through Korea.
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It's an enormous logistical nightmare
for Japan
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to get these men over there, to feed them,
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to arm them, to maintain them,
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to set up the headquarters to begin
this march up the Korean peninsula
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in order, ultimately, to defeat China.
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So he writes to Korea
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and asks for passage
through their country.
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The lead negotiator
on the Japanese side is Konishi Yukinaga.
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He is authorized by Hideyoshi
to present Hideyoshi's demands.
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For centuries, Korea and Japan
had had terrible relations.
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The Japanese had actually invaded Korea
hundreds of years before.
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This is not forgotten.
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They dare defy me!
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The Koreans won't allow Hideyoshi
to walk through their country to China.
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In part, this was because of
the close ties Korea had had with China,
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and they were a buffer state
between Japan and China.
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This is not acceptable.
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Get out!
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In Hideyoshi's mind,
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this meant he had
to first subjugate the Koreans
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and punish them for their hubris
in responding to him that way…
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…and then, move on to taking China.
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Enough! Get out!
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Undertaking the invasion of Korea
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was the most technically complex
military operation in history
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up until that time.
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Hideyoshi is going to rely
on the daimyo in the west
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because they're closest to Korea,
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so they can mass their troops
and they can get over there more quickly.
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The daimyo of the west are warriors.
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They're men of battle,
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and the idea of conquering
a hated traditional enemy,
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of extending their influence
in the continent,
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of getting their hands on foreign trade,
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is, for the daimyo,
as irresistible as it is for Hideyoshi.
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So, he orders, in 1592,
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one of the largest invasions
ever seen in the world
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up until that point in time…
of about 200,000 men.
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It's done on a scale that the world
doesn't witness again
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until the D-Day invasion.
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But Hideyoshi
has completely underestimated
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how difficult this campaign will be.
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April 13th, 1592,
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Toyotomi Hideyoshi's first invasion force
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sets sail from the island of Tsushima,
across the Korea Strait.
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They land at the southern port of Busan,
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overwhelming Korean defenses
with sheer numbers.
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The Japanese forces then march inland,
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quickly taking the key cities
of Seoul and Pyongyang,
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before moving towards
the border with China.
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Remember,
the Japanese were coming off 150 years
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of continuous warfare.
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Really, war is what they did.
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Hideyoshi's forces
unleash really tremendous violence
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on the peninsula.
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When they take garrisons,
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they will often massacre
defending troops who surrendered.
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They'll attack civilians,
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pretty much without regard for any
distinction between civilian and soldier.
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The Korean campaign so far had been one
of almost unprecedented cruelty.
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The Japanese carried out
terrible atrocities in terms of rape,
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slaughter, pillage and slave-taking.
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Against this sickening tide
of violence,
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rebellions began in almost every province
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when loyal Koreans rose up to try
and drive back these cruel invaders.
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Regular Koreans, farmers, monks,
regular people,
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organized into what became
known as Righteous Armies.
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Essentially,
these are small guerrilla forces.
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The most famous
Korean guerrilla leader
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was a general called Gwak Jae-u.
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Soon after the Japanese
had landed in Busan,
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Gwak raised his first army.
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He was a very rich man and is known
to have sold many of his possessions
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in order to buy arms
for his Righteous Warriors.
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He has become
a considerably legendary figure in Korea.
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Supposedly, his red coat was dyed
in the menstrual blood of virgins,
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so that it provided magical
protection against enemies.
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Gwak's main objective was to attack
and break the Japanese supply lines.
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The supply lines were a major element
of weakness for the Japanese,
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because they had to be
reinforced from Japan itself,
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and then any supplies
transported the length of Korea,
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where they were vulnerable
to guerrilla attack.
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One of the first major guerrilla attacks
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was against a Japanese emplacement
near the Nam River.
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Spies had spotted that the Japanese
had placed wooden stakes in the river
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so that their men knew
where it was safe to cross.
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It was a wonderful opportunity
for a surprise attack.
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When the Japanese began
to ford the river,
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their heavy armor weighed them down.
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Normally, the Koreans would be
at a large disadvantage.
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The Japanese troops are experienced,
most of them have some kind of armor,
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better-made weapons,
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but none of that matters
if you're trying to fight in the water.
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And it's that moment that
the Righteous Armies spring the trap.
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The Koreans launched volleys
of bullets
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and hails of arrows against the Japanese.
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The Japanese were totally helpless.
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It was then
a complete massacre…
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…as the dead Japanese
were washed downstream.
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The battle across the Nam River
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was the first Korean victory
on land of the war.
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It's a crushing victory
for the Righteous Armies.
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And it proves, crucially,
the Japanese can lose on land.
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It gave them huge confidence
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that they would be able to resist
the Japanese invaders and drive them back.
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Inspired by the Righteous Armies,
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ordinary people in their farm houses
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rose up against the occupying Japanese.
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This was full-scale guerrilla conflict.
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-Night attacks, arson attacks on camps,
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everything they could lay their hands on
in terms of military ingenuity.
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They harass, and then retreat.
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They try and make
the Japanese advance hell.
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Make it as hard as possible
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for the Japanese to take more territory
and hold on to what they already have.
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Before long, Japanese supply lines,
river boats, were under constant attack.
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Communication between the armies,
movement of supplies was hindered,
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and the scale, the relentless nature
of these attacks by the Righteous Armies,
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began to decimate the morale
of Hideyoshi's invasion force
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-and badly hinder their progress.
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You know, the western daimyos
have been bled dry by the war in Korea.
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They're down to 50,000.
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So, they've lost two-thirds
of their fighting force.
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As the war progresses,
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China's Ming Dynasty sends 50,000 troops
to Korea to thwart the Japanese advance.
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Despite a number of epic battles,
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this only creates a stalemate
as all sides battle for ground.
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In Japan,
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Hideyoshi issues erratic orders
to push forward into China,
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but his commanders
in Korea cannot advance…
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yet they dare not defy their master.
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When reporting back to Japan,
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Hideyoshi's generals always
tried to place a positive spin
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on what was happening in Korea.
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Hideyoshi was a total dictator,
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so making him angry
could have meant your life was at risk.
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Therefore his vassals
didn't report bad news,
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but reported only good news,
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so Hideyoshi became out of touch
with the war situation in Korea.
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Any reports of bad news
or of desire to withdraw,
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Hideyoshi really just rejects,
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which means that he is not
really well attuned to what is going on.
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He's really not understanding
the scale of this disaster.
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In fact, there's actually evidence
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to suggest that Hideyoshi thought
he was winning in Korea.
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Just as his attention is required
to deal with the Korean campaign,
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Hideyoshi is becoming
increasingly distracted
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and obsessed with another problem.
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The fact that Hideyoshi does not have
an heir weighs very heavily on his mind.
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His wife's childless,
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and he had great dreams of forming,
essentially, a new dynasty in Japan,
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one that would be the Toyotomi family
carrying on through the generations.
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Hideyoshi had succeeded
at inventing a past for himself,
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but there was just no amount of invention
that would get around the problem
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that he didn't have successors.
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And without successors, in a sense,
all of his legacy would come undone,
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and he was aware of the fact
that it would come undone.
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At this point, Nene was too old
to give birth to any children.
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At the same time, Hideyoshi had, like,
hundreds of concubines in Osaka.
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One of them
could give birth to his children.
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And, then, that person, a son,
could be a successor of Hideyoshi.
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Concubines tended to be
from very high-level families.
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They were all daughters of daimyo,
they were of noble blood.
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I think the key difference between
a concubine and a wife would be that
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you could probably, to some extent,
choose your concubines.
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You probably wouldn't choose your wife.
It would be an arranged marriage.
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Lady Chacha was
Hideyoshi's favorite concubine.
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She was actually
the niece of Oda Nobunaga.
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She was very famously beautiful.
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She was also a bit of a prima donna.
She was a very proud woman.
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She was very imperious,
so she was quite a contrast to Nene,
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who was a down-to-earth,
rather common-sense woman.
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After so many years
of not being able to produce a child,
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Chacha gives birth to a son, Tsurumatsu,
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and Hideyoshi is thrilled.
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He wants to control Asia,
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and he needs a son
to continue the Toyotomi line.
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Hideyoshi's son Tsurumatsu died.
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He was crushed with grief.
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Suddenly,
the future of the family
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is once again thrown into doubt.
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This clearly has an effect
on Hideyoshi's mental status…
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because one of his favorite daughters
has also recently died,
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and then his mother.
240
00:21:32,457 --> 00:21:34,960
And this contributed
241
00:21:35,043 --> 00:21:38,338
to generating a sense of crisis
for Hideyoshi,
242
00:21:38,422 --> 00:21:43,593
a sense that all of his most important
efforts were failing
243
00:21:43,677 --> 00:21:45,345
at the moment of greatest need.
244
00:21:45,429 --> 00:21:47,681
And it is possible that this also
245
00:21:47,764 --> 00:21:52,436
contributed to what people saw as
a progressive loss of his mental acuity.
246
00:21:59,609 --> 00:22:01,611
With each and every day…
247
00:22:02,404 --> 00:22:06,825
Hideyoshi's actions became more erratic
and more disturbing.
248
00:22:08,493 --> 00:22:11,663
Everybody was able to see
the changes
249
00:22:11,747 --> 00:22:14,541
and he, himself,
could not put himself together.
250
00:22:15,250 --> 00:22:19,880
Rumor had it that Hideyoshi
also contracted syphilis
251
00:22:19,963 --> 00:22:21,631
from one of his concubines,
252
00:22:21,715 --> 00:22:25,260
and then that made his behavior
even more irrational.
253
00:22:26,803 --> 00:22:29,348
Hideyoshi literally became mad.
254
00:22:49,993 --> 00:22:52,704
He increasingly sees himself
as isolated
255
00:22:53,497 --> 00:22:56,458
and fears that he's going to be a failure,
256
00:22:56,541 --> 00:22:59,378
that his family
will disappear when he dies.
257
00:23:03,256 --> 00:23:07,469
After his infant son died,
Hideyoshi was left without an heir.
258
00:23:09,262 --> 00:23:10,347
While the Korean war
259
00:23:10,430 --> 00:23:12,140
-was still continuing…
260
00:23:13,016 --> 00:23:15,268
Hideyoshi made a dramatic decision.
261
00:23:17,521 --> 00:23:22,192
He named his nephew,
Hidetsugu, as his successor.
262
00:23:25,862 --> 00:23:28,615
Hidetsugu was
a very unsavory character.
263
00:23:28,698 --> 00:23:30,909
He was addicted to pleasures of the flesh.
264
00:23:30,992 --> 00:23:32,994
-He was brutal and violent.
265
00:23:34,204 --> 00:23:37,040
-Sometimes just shoot peasants at will.
266
00:23:37,124 --> 00:23:39,459
He was seen as an unworthy successor,
267
00:23:40,544 --> 00:23:42,212
but Hideyoshi had no choice.
268
00:23:43,422 --> 00:23:47,467
Hidetsugu was the only legitimate heir
within his own family.
269
00:23:53,849 --> 00:23:56,560
But a surprise was in store
for Hideyoshi.
270
00:23:59,938 --> 00:24:01,898
Only about six months later,
271
00:24:01,982 --> 00:24:05,026
Hideyoshi's favorite concubine,
Lady Chacha,
272
00:24:05,110 --> 00:24:06,945
then gave birth to a son,
273
00:24:07,028 --> 00:24:08,780
a boy called Hideyori.
274
00:24:11,241 --> 00:24:14,453
Hideyoshi now had
a major succession dispute
275
00:24:14,536 --> 00:24:18,039
between the unstable Hidetsugu,
whom he had named,
276
00:24:18,123 --> 00:24:22,377
and the infant son,
whom he really now wanted to be his heir.
277
00:24:25,964 --> 00:24:28,467
This was a very dangerous situation,
278
00:24:28,550 --> 00:24:31,803
so Hideyoshi determined
to get rid of Hidetsugu
279
00:24:31,887 --> 00:24:34,931
by sending him into exile on Koyasan.
280
00:24:35,891 --> 00:24:37,976
That could have done the trick,
281
00:24:38,059 --> 00:24:41,730
but rumors grew that Hidetsugu
was planning a return,
282
00:24:41,813 --> 00:24:45,650
and indeed was considering a military coup
against Hideyoshi.
283
00:24:46,318 --> 00:24:48,069
That couldn't be allowed to happen.
284
00:24:51,448 --> 00:24:55,327
To secure the rights
of his second son…
285
00:24:55,952 --> 00:24:57,787
Hidetsugu had to die.
286
00:25:35,283 --> 00:25:39,287
Hideyoshi then rounds up
31 women and children,
287
00:25:39,371 --> 00:25:42,165
mainly Hidetsugu's closest family,
288
00:25:42,249 --> 00:25:43,959
marches them through Kyoto,
289
00:25:44,543 --> 00:25:46,878
and has them executed.
290
00:25:54,553 --> 00:25:56,304
It's so extreme
291
00:25:56,388 --> 00:25:59,307
that no one can believe
it represents anything other than
292
00:25:59,391 --> 00:26:01,810
Hideyoshi beginning
to lose his grip on reality.
293
00:26:05,897 --> 00:26:09,776
One of the people implicated
in the supposed plot of Hidetsugu
294
00:26:09,859 --> 00:26:12,654
to launch a coup
and install himself in power
295
00:26:12,737 --> 00:26:14,239
was the One-Eyed Dragon himself.
296
00:26:16,533 --> 00:26:19,703
Date Masamune and Hidetsugu
were friendly.
297
00:26:19,786 --> 00:26:22,706
They actually went hunting together
somewhat regularly,
298
00:26:22,789 --> 00:26:27,335
and, as a result, Masamune
is seen as a friend to Hidetsugu.
299
00:26:29,004 --> 00:26:31,548
Hideyoshi is infuriated.
300
00:26:37,554 --> 00:26:39,723
Masamune is a deeply ambitious man.
301
00:26:39,806 --> 00:26:41,266
It's not beyond reason
302
00:26:41,349 --> 00:26:44,311
that he would've been willing
to go behind Hideyoshi's back.
303
00:26:52,861 --> 00:26:55,739
As a result,
Masamune is brought before Hideyoshi
304
00:26:55,822 --> 00:26:59,492
and made to answer
for his association with Hidetsugu.
305
00:27:27,479 --> 00:27:31,358
The only thing that saves him
is the intercession of a cooler head,
306
00:27:31,441 --> 00:27:34,110
one of the few people
Hideyoshi still listens to.
307
00:27:35,779 --> 00:27:38,239
Tokugawa Ieyasu speaks up,
308
00:27:38,323 --> 00:27:40,909
saying that there's no reason
to doubt Masamune,
309
00:27:40,992 --> 00:27:42,994
that his loyalty is impeccable,
310
00:27:43,078 --> 00:27:45,747
and that, therefore,
punishment is unnecessary.
311
00:27:45,830 --> 00:27:48,083
"We should trust this man and his word."
312
00:27:48,166 --> 00:27:53,880
As a result, Masamune will feel himself
profoundly indebted to Tokugawa Ieyasu…
313
00:27:55,757 --> 00:27:58,593
a debt that Ieyasu will call in later on.
314
00:28:02,514 --> 00:28:04,432
Though Hideyoshi is paranoid,
315
00:28:04,516 --> 00:28:07,560
he agrees to spare Masamune
on one condition.
316
00:28:07,644 --> 00:28:11,439
Masamune must gather his forces
and join the invasion of Korea,
317
00:28:11,523 --> 00:28:13,316
even if they're all destroyed.
318
00:28:18,363 --> 00:28:20,657
Despite having
great misgivings,
319
00:28:20,740 --> 00:28:23,159
Date Masamune, like other daimyo,
320
00:28:23,243 --> 00:28:27,497
does not dare defy Hideyoshi's orders
to join the fight in Korea.
321
00:28:27,580 --> 00:28:30,250
Doing so would bring
certain death and shame.
322
00:28:30,792 --> 00:28:33,044
Although reinforcements have been sent,
323
00:28:33,128 --> 00:28:36,756
Japanese forces are bogged down
fighting an unwinnable war,
324
00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:40,719
lacking food and supplies
and racked with illness and disease.
325
00:28:42,178 --> 00:28:45,432
Unaware of the true nature
of events on the ground,
326
00:28:45,515 --> 00:28:49,436
Hideyoshi continues to issue orders
for his forces to advance.
327
00:29:02,031 --> 00:29:04,200
The war in Korea was devastating.
328
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,455
It had cost tens of thousands
of Japanese lives
329
00:29:08,538 --> 00:29:12,250
and untold hundreds of thousands
of Korean lives.
330
00:29:21,259 --> 00:29:23,511
As the disaster in Korea is unfolding,
331
00:29:23,595 --> 00:29:26,264
and they're receiving
these increasingly bizarre orders
332
00:29:26,347 --> 00:29:27,807
back from Japan,
333
00:29:28,475 --> 00:29:31,728
it's clear that Hideyoshi is becoming
more and more unstable,
334
00:29:31,811 --> 00:29:34,856
that he's unable to make
clear, strategic decisions,
335
00:29:34,939 --> 00:29:37,442
that he believes he's winning
when he's not.
336
00:29:40,779 --> 00:29:41,780
And that, of course,
337
00:29:41,863 --> 00:29:45,074
is paralyzing for his generals,
who don't have clear direction.
338
00:29:45,909 --> 00:29:49,746
It makes a lot of his top commanders
wonder about his mental stability
339
00:29:49,829 --> 00:29:51,915
and whether they'll ever
return home alive.
340
00:29:56,169 --> 00:29:59,339
There's a very desperate
situation on the ground,
341
00:29:59,422 --> 00:30:01,841
and the commanders recognize this,
342
00:30:01,925 --> 00:30:04,761
and they recognize the need
343
00:30:04,844 --> 00:30:07,764
to begin opening up negotiations
344
00:30:07,847 --> 00:30:09,474
to try to reach a resolution.
345
00:30:16,272 --> 00:30:18,149
For a long time during negotiations,
346
00:30:18,233 --> 00:30:23,321
Hideyoshi was not aware that the terms
being put forth by the Chinese
347
00:30:23,404 --> 00:30:26,491
were not the ones that he wanted to hear.
348
00:30:29,536 --> 00:30:31,955
Because of his
deteriorating mind
349
00:30:32,038 --> 00:30:35,792
and the false reports
that the generals had sent to him,
350
00:30:35,875 --> 00:30:40,505
Hideyoshi believed that he had won
his campaign in Korea,
351
00:30:40,588 --> 00:30:46,135
and he now sought recognition
for his triumph at the very highest level.
352
00:30:46,219 --> 00:30:49,848
In other words,
from the Ming Emperor of China.
353
00:30:51,891 --> 00:30:55,520
At minimum, what Hideyoshi wants
is a division of Korea.
354
00:30:55,603 --> 00:30:59,649
He suggests Korea be divided
into two spheres of influence,
355
00:30:59,732 --> 00:31:02,694
a southern sphere dominated by Japan
356
00:31:02,777 --> 00:31:05,280
and a northern one
dominated by the Chinese.
357
00:31:05,363 --> 00:31:07,699
This is the minimum
he is willing to accept.
358
00:31:08,283 --> 00:31:11,077
In addition,
Hideyoshi wants the Emperor of China
359
00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,705
to dispatch one of his own daughters
to Japan,
360
00:31:13,788 --> 00:31:15,206
to be taken as a concubine.
361
00:31:25,466 --> 00:31:29,679
Konishi Yukinaga knew
that this was mission impossible.
362
00:31:29,762 --> 00:31:33,349
There was no way that the Ming emperor
was going to give Hideyoshi
363
00:31:33,433 --> 00:31:36,269
the recognition
that he thought he deserved.
364
00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:46,362
What Hideyoshi wants
is frankly insulting to the Chinese.
365
00:31:46,446 --> 00:31:49,574
They refuse categorically
to deal on these terms.
366
00:31:52,577 --> 00:31:55,455
After all,
he hadn't won a victory in Korea.
367
00:31:55,538 --> 00:31:57,415
It had been an ignominious defeat.
368
00:32:02,086 --> 00:32:06,007
Instead, they offer
Augustin Konishi a different deal,
369
00:32:06,090 --> 00:32:07,967
one that he ultimately accepts.
370
00:32:21,147 --> 00:32:24,067
When the Chinese envoys arrived in Kyoto,
371
00:32:24,150 --> 00:32:29,530
accompanied by Konishi and the other
negotiators coming from Korea,
372
00:32:29,614 --> 00:32:33,660
they presented Hideyoshi
with Chinese robes,
373
00:32:35,370 --> 00:32:38,331
and Hideyoshi was very pleased,
374
00:32:38,414 --> 00:32:40,917
because he thought this meant that
375
00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:44,170
they were offering their submission
to him.
376
00:32:53,012 --> 00:32:56,349
However, very quickly
there's complete confusion.
377
00:32:58,685 --> 00:33:01,020
First, these ambassadors refuse,
378
00:33:01,104 --> 00:33:03,898
because they're the ambassadors
of the Emperor of China,
379
00:33:03,982 --> 00:33:05,233
to bow to Hideyoshi.
380
00:33:05,316 --> 00:33:07,568
They expect him to bow to them.
381
00:33:08,152 --> 00:33:10,530
He, of course,
is not going to bow to anybody,
382
00:33:10,613 --> 00:33:13,074
and so there's a standoff
between the two sides.
383
00:33:22,291 --> 00:33:26,212
When they actually bring out the letter
from the Emperor of China
384
00:33:26,295 --> 00:33:27,463
announcing these terms,
385
00:33:27,547 --> 00:33:31,050
"Hideyoshi, you are King of Japan.
I recognize you as such.
386
00:33:31,134 --> 00:33:32,552
As my vassal--"
387
00:33:32,635 --> 00:33:34,929
What is the meaning of this?
388
00:33:35,013 --> 00:33:38,057
-What is the meaning of this, you idiot!
-Calm down, my dear!
389
00:33:41,227 --> 00:33:44,564
He realizes these crown and robes,
they're not gifts.
390
00:33:44,647 --> 00:33:46,733
They're markers of his submission,
391
00:33:46,816 --> 00:33:51,029
being given by the Emperor of China,
to show "You are mine now."
392
00:33:51,612 --> 00:33:54,407
How can I wear this?
Get out!
393
00:33:54,490 --> 00:33:55,950
Get out of here!
394
00:33:57,076 --> 00:33:58,202
Get out!
395
00:33:58,286 --> 00:34:01,998
Hideyoshi is so humiliated and so angry,
396
00:34:02,081 --> 00:34:04,751
he orders a second invasion of Korea…
397
00:34:04,834 --> 00:34:05,752
Out!
398
00:34:05,835 --> 00:34:08,421
…but this time his objectives
are more limited.
399
00:34:09,797 --> 00:34:12,842
It was instead a simple act of revenge.
400
00:34:14,510 --> 00:34:18,264
Hideyoshi forces
over 100,000 more samurai
401
00:34:18,347 --> 00:34:22,268
to invade Korea in a punishing
assault of death and destruction.
402
00:34:23,394 --> 00:34:25,063
However, within months,
403
00:34:25,146 --> 00:34:28,900
Korean and Chinese soldiers once again
halt the advance
404
00:34:28,983 --> 00:34:32,361
and drive Japanese forces
back to their coastal garrisons.
405
00:34:35,990 --> 00:34:39,327
At this point,
many daimyo are up in arms.
406
00:34:39,410 --> 00:34:41,913
They've lost huge amounts
of men and treasure
407
00:34:41,996 --> 00:34:43,498
with nothing to show for it.
408
00:34:44,916 --> 00:34:48,878
In the Sengoku period,
it was always important for a ruler
409
00:34:48,961 --> 00:34:52,673
to reward his followers
with lands and treasure,
410
00:34:52,757 --> 00:34:57,261
but the course of the war meant that
there were actually no new lands in Korea
411
00:34:57,345 --> 00:35:00,348
or anything to be given
to these daimyo for the long term.
412
00:35:00,431 --> 00:35:03,309
So, there was
a great deal of dissatisfaction
413
00:35:03,392 --> 00:35:05,812
among those daimyo
who had gone to Korea.
414
00:35:10,691 --> 00:35:14,028
So much so that quiet whispers in court
415
00:35:14,112 --> 00:35:17,740
began to circulate
amongst powerful figures
416
00:35:17,824 --> 00:35:19,200
as to what should be done,
417
00:35:20,243 --> 00:35:22,036
what steps should be taken,
418
00:35:22,995 --> 00:35:24,664
and how he should disappear.
419
00:35:26,916 --> 00:35:30,461
People began to talk openly of rebellion.
420
00:35:33,631 --> 00:35:36,843
Hideyoshi is in
an increasingly difficult position.
421
00:35:37,927 --> 00:35:41,013
Physically, of course,
he's more and more unwell.
422
00:35:41,097 --> 00:35:44,725
It's getting harder and harder for him
to leave his castle at Fushimi.
423
00:35:51,274 --> 00:35:54,026
Before he dies… he knows he's dying.
424
00:35:56,237 --> 00:35:57,947
Hideyori.
425
00:35:58,030 --> 00:36:01,409
He has to make sure Hideyori
won't be deposed or murdered,
426
00:36:01,492 --> 00:36:04,036
as had happened for decades
during the civil war.
427
00:36:12,086 --> 00:36:14,005
Please take care of him.
428
00:36:16,716 --> 00:36:19,552
He makes an incredibly important
strategic decision.
429
00:36:29,645 --> 00:36:32,565
He decides to appoint a Council of Elders
430
00:36:32,648 --> 00:36:36,611
and have them swear to protect
and watch over Hideyori
431
00:36:36,694 --> 00:36:40,448
until he becomes an adult
and can take over his position
432
00:36:40,531 --> 00:36:41,949
as the leader of Japan.
433
00:36:45,620 --> 00:36:51,042
The men he picks for this are the five
most powerful leaders across Japan.
434
00:36:54,128 --> 00:36:57,131
Some of them are people
he has had a long relationship with,
435
00:36:57,215 --> 00:36:58,799
people he trusts.
436
00:36:58,883 --> 00:37:02,053
Others are chosen
primarily because of their power,
437
00:37:02,136 --> 00:37:05,348
not necessarily because
Hideyoshi trusts or likes them.
438
00:37:06,015 --> 00:37:08,976
But it's a gamble that in many ways
I think he had to make.
439
00:37:11,270 --> 00:37:13,689
Of the five regents,
or the five councilors,
440
00:37:13,773 --> 00:37:17,485
the two most important
are Tokugawa Ieyasu
441
00:37:18,486 --> 00:37:20,196
and Maeda Toshiie.
442
00:37:26,410 --> 00:37:29,872
Maeda Toshiie will be stationed
in Osaka Castle
443
00:37:29,956 --> 00:37:33,084
and will be the one responsible
for raising young Hideyori,
444
00:37:33,167 --> 00:37:34,877
for managing his education,
445
00:37:34,961 --> 00:37:38,297
preparing him for the rigors
of leading the country.
446
00:37:40,258 --> 00:37:43,135
Tokugawa Ieyasu is,
by this point,
447
00:37:43,219 --> 00:37:45,179
the most powerful daimyo in Japan,
448
00:37:45,263 --> 00:37:46,806
other than Hideyoshi,
449
00:37:46,889 --> 00:37:49,684
and so he's really given
sort of ultimate authority.
450
00:37:49,767 --> 00:37:52,395
He's basically put in charge
of the entire government.
451
00:37:57,066 --> 00:38:00,820
One might expect that a council
would be brought together
452
00:38:00,903 --> 00:38:05,199
of individuals able to cooperate
and effectively run a government.
453
00:38:05,283 --> 00:38:09,370
However, it seems that this
may not have been Hideyoshi's intent
454
00:38:09,453 --> 00:38:10,871
in this particular case.
455
00:38:14,041 --> 00:38:18,504
He seems to have
quite consciously selected daimyo
456
00:38:18,587 --> 00:38:21,007
who had competing interests
with one another.
457
00:38:21,507 --> 00:38:23,676
Therefore, perhaps ensuring
458
00:38:23,759 --> 00:38:26,887
that the members of the council
could be counted upon
459
00:38:26,971 --> 00:38:28,764
to watch one another closely
460
00:38:28,848 --> 00:38:31,559
and make sure that
no one did anything rash.
461
00:38:33,728 --> 00:38:37,106
Trying to make sure that no member
of the council became
462
00:38:37,189 --> 00:38:39,650
more powerful than the other four.
463
00:38:57,835 --> 00:38:59,795
September 1598,
464
00:38:59,879 --> 00:39:01,881
after a lifetime of war,
465
00:39:01,964 --> 00:39:05,384
one of Japan's great unifiers,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, dies.
466
00:39:09,305 --> 00:39:13,351
I think for few individuals
can we really ever say,
467
00:39:13,434 --> 00:39:15,895
"This individual changed
the course of history."
468
00:39:16,979 --> 00:39:21,150
And Hideyoshi is most definitely someone
for whom that can be said.
469
00:39:26,489 --> 00:39:28,574
His achievements were immense,
470
00:39:28,657 --> 00:39:32,161
probably the greatest ever
by any Japanese leader in history.
471
00:39:34,288 --> 00:39:36,082
He was the rare leader
472
00:39:36,165 --> 00:39:41,087
who was actually able to imagine
something that was entirely unheard of.
473
00:39:41,879 --> 00:39:46,550
He brought peace in a way that perhaps
Nobunaga never dreamed of doing.
474
00:39:49,428 --> 00:39:52,598
He had unified the country.
He had ended the civil war.
475
00:39:52,681 --> 00:39:54,975
He had created what seemed to be
476
00:39:55,059 --> 00:39:58,270
a stable political equilibrium
among the great daimyo.
477
00:39:58,354 --> 00:39:59,772
But even more than that,
478
00:39:59,855 --> 00:40:03,609
his rise is an astonishing triumph
479
00:40:03,692 --> 00:40:05,361
over one's humble origins.
480
00:40:05,444 --> 00:40:08,239
From a peasant
and the lowest level of the samurai,
481
00:40:08,322 --> 00:40:11,117
to the undisputed leader of Japan.
482
00:40:14,912 --> 00:40:16,330
When Hideyoshi dies,
483
00:40:16,414 --> 00:40:20,084
the Council of Five Elders does not
initially make the announcement
484
00:40:20,167 --> 00:40:22,711
that the great lord,
the great regent has passed.
485
00:40:23,295 --> 00:40:24,422
Instead,
486
00:40:24,505 --> 00:40:27,716
they issue cease-fire orders
in Hideyoshi's name
487
00:40:27,800 --> 00:40:30,219
and finish recalling
Japan's forces from Korea.
488
00:40:34,098 --> 00:40:37,977
In many ways,
when Hideyoshi died,
489
00:40:38,060 --> 00:40:40,813
I suspect the daimyo
breathed a sigh of relief.
490
00:40:44,567 --> 00:40:47,987
The adventure in Korea
had proven disastrous.
491
00:40:50,072 --> 00:40:51,574
That being said,
492
00:40:51,657 --> 00:40:56,912
there was certainly enormous anxiety
in the wake of his passing
493
00:40:56,996 --> 00:40:59,540
because he did not leave an adult heir,
494
00:40:59,623 --> 00:41:02,251
who could take over
his mantle uncontested.
495
00:41:05,337 --> 00:41:06,922
As Hideyoshi wished,
496
00:41:07,006 --> 00:41:10,551
the council officially declares
young Hideyori the ruler of Japan,
497
00:41:10,634 --> 00:41:13,762
though, as a young child,
he exercises no actual power.
498
00:41:14,346 --> 00:41:17,433
In practice, power is now divided
in a careful arrangement
499
00:41:17,516 --> 00:41:18,767
among the five elders.
500
00:41:19,351 --> 00:41:22,229
This produces
an enormously dangerous situation.
501
00:41:36,368 --> 00:41:39,830
We have this delicate arrangement
of power between five regents.
502
00:41:39,914 --> 00:41:42,500
One that could,
with any change in that balance,
503
00:41:42,583 --> 00:41:46,921
fall apart completely and create
this deadly vacuum at the center.
504
00:41:50,341 --> 00:41:53,052
No doubt most daimyo,
the moment Hideyoshi died,
505
00:41:53,135 --> 00:41:55,179
started preparing for war.
506
00:42:04,855 --> 00:42:06,524
After decades on the sidelines,
507
00:42:06,607 --> 00:42:09,360
Tokugawa Ieyasu is now ready
to make his move.
508
00:42:16,784 --> 00:42:20,329
The wheels are now set in motion
for a cataclysmic struggle for power.