History Video Shows What a Samurai vs Mongol Battle Would Have Looked Like
The history of the Mongol invasion of Japan from 1274 to 1281 is fascinating. Two amazingly trained forces went head to head, with Japan's Samurai being extremely outnumbered. While much is known of the bloody battles, a recent YouTube video may have articulated the invasion in the most succinct and well-done way possible.
YouTube history channel History Dose just uploaded a video titled What a Samurai vs. Mongol Battle Really Looked Like. Using historical information and gorgeous animation, the video highlights the brutal war between the Mongols and Japan. Interestingly, the well-received Ghost of Tsushima on the PS4 is based on the Mongol invasion.
The beginning of the video is all about the original invasion of the Mongols in 1274, which is what Ghost of Tsushima is about. Mongol leader Kublai Khan originally sent out a notice to Japan, telling the country that it needed to join forces under the Mongols or be eliminated. When Japan chose to ignore the warning, the Mongols successfully invaded the island of Tsushima and the small island of Iki.
The Mongol invasion than pressed forward to the mainland of Japan. While the Mongols had success with pushing the Japanese back, it was the incredibly trained Samuari, with their strong armor, skill with the blade, and horseback archery abilities that countered the Mongols and forced their retreat.
The video then shifts to what took place after the first unsuccessful invasion attempt on Japan, when the Mongols regrouped. Led by Kublai Khan, who is loosely in Ghost of Tsushima as Khotan Khan, the Mongols continued overtaking the rest of Asia, including China. In 1281 the Mongols and their massive army, that was three times as large as the first invasion, attacked Tshuima again and made its way to the mainland of Japan. But the Japanese had been planning for their return. They had created massive 12-foot high walls along the areas in which the Mongols had attacked in the past, making it difficult to move forward.
The game Ghost of Tsushima avoided supernatural elements but the historical truth of the actual events perhaps had hints of supernatural intervention. The people had prayed for peace, and to win over the Mongols. And just as the Mongols seemed to be overwhelming the Japanese, a huge typhoon destroyed much of their fleet. The end result was Japan taking very few prisoners when Mongols washed ashore, and the Mongols finally giving up on overtaking Japan entirely. The biggest force in the world successfully took over every country it invaded, but couldn't beat the Samurai and Japan, as even the waters protected them.
Japan's warriors made a name for themselves during the invasion, including Takezaki Suenaga and Kawano Michiari. It was a success on the battlefield that allowed Samurai to be rewarded by the government and for their names to be remembered. Some of the best video game Samurai are based on the history of the warriors who fended off the Mongols.
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