The Mongol Invasions of Japan, 1274 and 1281 (Campaign)

From his seat in Xanadu, the great Mongol Emperor of China, Kubla Khan, had long plotted an invasion of Japan. However, it was only with the acquisition of Korea, that the Khan gained the maritime resources necessary for such a major amphibious operation. Written by expert Stephen Turnbull, this book tells the story of the two Mongol invasions of Japan against the noble Samurai. Using detailed maps, illustrations, and newly commissioned artwork, Turnbull charts the history of these great campaigns, which included numerous bloody raids on the Japanese islands, and ended with the famous kami kaze, the divine wind, that destroyed the Mongol fleet and would live in the Japanese consciousness and shape their military thinking for centuries to come.

The two attempts by Khubilai Khan, the Mongol Emperor of China, to invade Japan in 1274 and 1281 represent unique events in the history of both countries. It pitted the samurai of Japan against the fierce warriors of the steppes who had conquered half the known world.

The Mongol conquest of Korea left them with a considerable quantity of maritime resources, which enabled them to thin seriously for the first time about crossing the Tsushima strait between Korea and Japan with an army of invasion. The first invasion, which began with savage raiding on the islands of Tsushima and Iki, made a landfall at Hakata Bay and forced the samurai defenders back inland. Luckily for the Japanese defenders, a storm scattered the Mongol invasion fleet, leading them to abandon this attempt.

In the intervening years the Japanese made defensive preparation, and the Mongol increased their fleet and army, so that the second invasion involved one of the largest seaborne expeditions in world history up to that time. This attempt was aimed at the same landing site, Hakata Bay, and met stiffer opposition form the new defences and the aggressive Japanese defenders. Forced buy a series of major Japanese raids to stay in their ships at anchor, the Mongol fleet was obliterated by a typhoon - the kami kaze (divine wind) - for the loss of as many as 90 per cent of the invaders. Although further preparations were made for an assault by the Mongols at the end of the 13ht and beginning of the 14th centuries, this proved to be the last realistic threat of an invasion of the home islands till 1945.

History/Military/Eastern Warfare/Medieval/The Mongol Invasions of Japan CAMPAIGN 217, THE MONGOL INVASIONS OF JAPAN 1274 AND 1281 1 Title Page 2 Copyright and Notes 3 Contents 4 INTRODUCTION 6 Japan and the Mongol Empire 6 The Mongol conquest of China 9 The land of gold 11 Threats and preparation 15 CHRONOLOGY 18 OPPOSING COMMANDERS 20 Khubilai Khan and the Mongol leaders 20 Hojo Tokimune 21 The shugo and the jito 22 OPPOSING ARMIES 25 Sources for the invasion 25 Tactical differences 25 Samurai arms and armour 29 Mongol arms and armour 31 THE FIRST MONGOL INVASION OF JAPAN, 1274 33 Opposing plans 33 Orders of battle 33 The invasion of Tsushima 34 The invasion of Iki 37 Landfall at Hakata 38 BETWEEN THE INVASIONS, 1275–81 52 THE SECOND MONGOL INVASION OF JAPAN, 1281 56 Opposing plans 56 Orders of battle 57 The Eastern Route Army 58 The battle of Hakata Bay 60 The battle of Takashima 70 The Kamikaze 72 AFTERMATH 81 Rewards, religion and retribution 81 Japan’s revenge 88 The fall of Kamakura 89 The myth of the Mongol invasions 90 THE BATTLEFIELDS TODAY 92 Further reading 95 Glossary 95 Index 96 ISBN-10:,1846034566,ISBN-13:,9781846034565 ISBN-10: 1846034566,ISBN-13: 9781846034565 CAMPAIGN 217, THE MONGOL INVASIONS OF JAPAN 1274 AND 1281 ......Page 1 Title Page ......Page 2 Copyright and Notes ......Page 3 Contents ......Page 4 Japan and the Mongol Empire ......Page 6 The Mongol conquest of China ......Page 9 The land of gold ......Page 11 Threats and preparation ......Page 15 CHRONOLOGY ......Page 18 Khubilai Khan and the Mongol leaders ......Page 20 Hojo Tokimune ......Page 21 The shugo and the jito ......Page 22 Tactical differences ......Page 25 Samurai arms and armour ......Page 29 Mongol arms and armour ......Page 31 Orders of battle ......Page 33 The invasion of Tsushima ......Page 34 The invasion of Iki ......Page 37 Landfall at Hakata ......Page 38 BETWEEN THE INVASIONS, 1275–81 ......Page 52 Opposing plans ......Page 56 Orders of battle ......Page 57 The Eastern Route Army ......Page 58 The battle of Hakata Bay ......Page 60 The battle of Takashima ......Page 70 The Kamikaze ......Page 72 Rewards, religion and retribution ......Page 81 Japan’s revenge ......Page 88 The fall of Kamakura ......Page 89 The myth of the Mongol invasions ......Page 90 THE BATTLEFIELDS TODAY ......Page 92 Glossary ......Page 95 Index ......Page 96 Den kinesiske kejser, mongolen Kublai Khan, planlagde at invadere Japan i 1274 og 1281. Begge gange lykkedes det ikke at invadere Japan på grund af voldsomme uvejr (tyfoner)