Battle of Shizugatake

Battle of Shizugatake
DateJune 10–11, 1583
Location35°30′21.3″N 136°11′33.8″E / 35.505917°N 136.192722°E / 35.505917; 136.192722
Result Decisive Hideyoshi victory
Belligerents
Forces of Hashiba Hideyoshi and Oda Nobukatsu Forces of Shibata Katsuie and Oda Nobutaka
Commanders and leaders
Hashiba Hideyoshi
Oda Nobukatsu
Niwa Nagahide
Ikeda Tsuneoki
Ikoma Chikamasa
Nakagawa Kiyohide 
Hashiba Hidenaga
Hashiba Hidekatsu
Hashiba Hidetsugu
Hori Hidemasa
Katō Yoshiaki
Fukushima Masanori
Katō Kiyomasa
Horio Yoshiharu
Takayama Ukon
Kuroda Yoshitaka
Kuwayama Shigeharu
Gamō Ujisato
Akamatsu Norifusa
Shibata Katsuie 
Oda Nobutaka 
Takigawa Kazumasu
Sakuma Morimasa 
Shibata Katsumasa
Shibata Katsutoyo
Fuwa Naomitsu
Anegakōji Yoritsuna
Hara Nagayori
Ogawa Suketada
Murai Nagayori
defected:
Maeda Toshiie
Maeda Toshimasu
Maeda Toshinaga
Kanamori Nagachika
Strength
50,000 men 30,000 men
Casualties and losses
4,000–6,000 8,000
Battle of Shizugatake is located in Shiga Prefecture
Battle of Shizugatake
Location within Shiga Prefecture
Battle of Shizugatake is located in Japan
Battle of Shizugatake
Battle of Shizugatake (Japan)

The Battle of Shizugatake (賤ヶ岳の戦い, Shizugatake no Tatakai) took place during the Sengoku period of Japan between Toyotomi Hideyoshi (then Hashiba Hideyoshi) and Shibata Katsuie in Shizugatake, Ōmi Province over a period of two days beginning on the 20th day of the fourth month of Tenshō 11 (equivalent to 10-11 June 1583 on the Gregorian calendar).[1] Katsuie supported Oda Nobutaka's claim as successor of Oda Nobunaga in a succession dispute within the Oda clan that benefitted Hideyoshi.

Katsuie and Sakuma Morimasa attacked fortifications loyal to Hideyoshi at Shizugatake, defeating Nakagawa Kiyohide, but the other sieges by Toshiie and Kazumasu stalled. Katsuie ordered Sakuma to retreat but was ignored, and Hideyoshi launched a surprise counterattack that routed Sakuma and forced him to retreat. Hideyoshi pursued Sakuma and successfully besieged Kitanosho Castle which led to the suicide of Katsuie and Oichi.

The Battle of Shizugatake allowed Hideyoshi to consolidate his position as Oda Nobunaga's successor, and was one of the last challenges to his rule along with the Battle of Komaki and Nagakute in 1584. George Sansom states the Battle of Shizugatake "must be regarded as one of the decisive battles in Japanese history."[2]

  1. ^ "Battle of Shizugatake-Hideyoshi VS Katsuie's mortal struggle to gain supremacy" Gakken Kenkyusha <History Gunzo Series 15>, December 1989. ISBN 4051051528
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sansom was invoked but never defined (see the help page).