Nagashima Ikko Ikki (2/2)Nobunaga massacred 20,000 people

Hayaoguchi: Main unit (Nobunaga's horse mawarishu main), center

Oda Nobunaga, Oda Nobuhiro, Hashiba Hidenaga, Ando Morinari, Ujiie Naomichi, Kawajiri Hidetaka, Sasa Narimasa, Niwa Nagahide, Maeda Toshiie, etc.

Katori Exit: Northwest

Katsuie Shibata, Nobumori Sakuma, Sadamichi Inaba, Yoritaka Hachiya, etc.

Ichieguchi: Reserve Corps/Northeast

Nobutada Oda, Hidenari Oda, Nagatoshi Oda, Nobunari Oda, Shinji Oda, Nagayoshi Mori, Tsuneoki Ikeda, etc.

navy

Yoshitaka Kuki, Kazumasu Takigawa, Totoyo Kitabatake (Nobuo Oda), etc.

An all-star lineup of military commanders participated (however, Mitsuhide Akechi of the Kinai region and Hideyoshi Hashiba, the governor of Echizen, did not participate), allowing us to gauge Nobunaga's seriousness. In addition, this time we have strengthened the control of Ominato, and the navy is fully deployed. It's all-out war.

Third Nagashima Ikko Ikki ② Nobunaga burns 20,000 people to death

On July 14, 1574, Oda Nobunaga moved his army to attack Nagashima from three directions. On July 15th, the navy that had moved north joined them and pushed the Ikko-Ikki forces even further. As a result, the Ikki forces were separated and barricaded themselves in five forts: Nagashima and Shinobashi in Nakasu, and Otorii, Yanagashima, and Nakae to the west across the Ibi River. Nobunaga launched a supply raid against these forts and continued to attack them.

The Otorii gate fell on August 3rd, and Shinobashi Bridge fell on the 12th. In fact, both forts were so frightened by Nobunaga that they offered to surrender, but Nobunaga adamantly refused. Approximately 1,000 rioters tried to escape at Otorii during the night, but were defeated by the Oda army and the area fell. Shinohashi made a false proposal saying, ``I would like to move to Nagashima Castle because I am secretly communicating,'' but since the Oda side can also put pressure on Nagashima Castle, I allow it.

There are no descriptions of the next month and a half in "Nobunaga Koki," but it seems that Nobunaga continued to carry out food raids indifferently. In the meantime, the three remaining forts ran out of food, and many people died of starvation. For this reason, on September 29th, the Ikko Ikki forces of Nagashima asked the Oda side to surrender and open the castle on the condition that the lives of the people trapped in the castle be spared. They then try to escape in a small boat, but Nobunaga fires guns at the fleeing people. More soldiers will attack. So-called people were ``root-cut''. It is said that the surrounding river was dyed red with the blood of the Ikko Ikki rebels.

The Ikko-Ikki forces were angered by this and launched a counterattack with the determination to die. According to the Nobunaga Koki, 700 to 800 people attacked the Oda army naked with a single unsheathed sword and fought bravely, killing many military commanders. In this battle, members of the Oda family, including Nobunaga's uncle Shinji Oda, his illegitimate brother Nobuhiro, his younger brother Hidenari, and his cousin Nobunari, were killed. Furthermore, the Ikki forces who succeeded in escaping escaped to Osaka via Kita Iseguchi.

Nobunaga was furious at this counterattack by the Ikko Ikki forces on Nagashima. The remaining Nakae and Yanagashima Islands were surrounded by numerous measures to prevent them from escaping, and then fire was set on them from all sides. As a result, approximately 20,000 Ikko-Ikki rebels were burned to death.

Why did Nobunaga commit such a cruel act? Did he become wary of the Ikko Ikki group because he had suffered so much damage from the people he tricked, or did he think he had no choice but to crush them completely to prevent further damage to his army? He may have recognized the strength of the Ikko Ikki force to the extent that he felt he had to burn 20,000 people to death, but what was in his mind?

Anyway, the Nagashima Ikko Ikki came to an end, and Nobunaga returned to Gifu Castle. Nagashima Castle later became the residence of Kazumasu Takigawa.

Nobunaga and the Ikko sect after the Nagashima Ikko Ikki uprising

Even after the Nagashima Ikko Ikki ended, the battle between Oda Nobunaga and the Ikko sect led by Ishiyama Honganji Temple continued. After Nobunaga defeated Takeda Katsuyori along with Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Battle of Nagashino in May 1575, he headed to Echizen, another major stronghold of the Ikko sect, and set out to subjugate the Echizen Ikko Ikki. At this time, Nobunaga ordered the Ikko Ikki forces to be pursued and annihilated, resulting in the slaughter of over 20,000 people. After that, Nobunaga laid siege to Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple and engaged in full-scale battles with Ishiyama Hongan-ji Temple, including the Battle of Kizu Kawaguchi.