How the Samurai Defended Against the Mongols - Middle Ages DOCUMENTARY 

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contained the enemies at the beach head, don't let them in open country, nullify one of the Mongol's main strength, ie horsemanship, by forcing them into frontal slog fest, hell even the Japanese archers weren't slouches themselves when comparing to the Mongols, etc. The Mongols were doomed to fail, since there were away too many disadvantages from the beginning

Completely fascinating and educational video. One could never have anticipated just how complex Japanese feudal society was, especially the leadership. As for the legal complexity of raising troops it rivals the modern day. Well done, I really enjoyed this.

Love the look at the way various cultures dealt with (or failed to deal with) the Mongols. Also like the way the downside of the actions taken was pointed out. Yeah it worked, but ...

Kings and generals always give us best videos. We always appreciate your hard work and dedication to make these videos

I was very impressed by your historically correct video about the Mongol invasion of Japan, as I was fed up with so many people believing in the so-called "kamikaze myth" that Japan just happened to win thanks to typhoons.

Always loved to read about this subject. We usually associate Japanese Warfare with the Sengoku Period or the Imperial Expansion Era, making interesting to see Japan dealing with a foreign invasion. It is curious how this event isn't popular as the Sengoku Period, and everybody thinks that Japan was saved only by the typhoons, and not by the courage of the Japanese people.

It is always good to have a manual ready for 'how to defend against the Mongols'. You never know when they might strike again! Thank you for this valuable piece of work.

The Second Invasion (Koan Campaign) Kublai Khan's second invasion fleet was a whole lot bigger than the first one. This time, thanks to his recent defeat of the Song and acquisition of their navy, there were 4,400 ships and around 100,000 men, again a mix of Mongol, Chinese, and Korean warriors. Once again, the invaders hit Tsushima (9 June) and Iki (14 June) before attacking Hakata Bay on Kyushu on 23 June 1281 CE. This time, though, the force split and one fleet attacked Honshu where it was rebuffed at Nagato. Meanwhile, at Hakata, the Japanese put their defences to good use and presented a stiff resistance. The fortification walls did their job, and this time the attackers could not establish themselves permanently on the beach, resulting in much shipboard fighting. Eventually, after heavy losses, the Mongols withdraw first to Shiga and Noki Islands and then to Iki Island. There they were harassed by Japanese ships making constant raids into the Mongol fleet using small boats and much courage. Many of the later stories of samurai heroics come from this episode of the invasion. The Khan then dispatched reinforcements from southern China, perhaps another 40,000 men (some sources go as high as 100,000), and the two armies gathered to make a combined push deeper into Japanese territory, this time selecting Hirado as the target in early August. The combined fleets then moved east and attacked Takashima, the battle there taking place on 12 August. Fierce fighting raged for several weeks and the invaders likely faced shortages of supplies. Then, yet again, the weather intervened and caused havoc. On 14 August a typhoon destroyed most of the Mongol fleet, wrecking ships that had been tied together for safety against Japanese raids and smashing the uncontrollable vessels against the coastline. From half to two-thirds of the Mongol force was killed. Thousands more of the Khan's men were washed up or left stranded on the beaches of Imari Bay, and these were summarily executed, although some Song Chinese, former allies of Japan, were spared. Those ships that survived sailed back to China. The storm winds that either sunk or blew the Mongol ships safely away from Japanese shores were given the name kamikaze or 'divine winds.' as they were seen as a response to the Japanese appeal to Hachiman, the Shinto god of war, to send help to protect the country against a vastly numerically superior enemy. The name kamikaze would be resurrected for the Japanese suicide pilots of the Second World War (1939-1945 CE) as they, too, were seen as the last resort to once again save Japan from invasion. It seems, too, that the Mongol ships were not particularly well-built and so proved much less seaworthy than they should have been. Modern marine archaeology has revealed that many of the ships had especially weak mast steps, which is something absolutely not to have in the case of a storm. The poor workmanship may have been due to Kublai Khan rushing to get the invasion fleet together as many of the ships in the fleet were of a variety without a keel and highly unsuitable for sea voyages. Further, Chinese ships of the period were actually renowned for their seaworthiness, so it seems the demand for a huge fleet in a short space of time resulted in a risk that did not pay off. Nevertheless, the crucial factor in the fleet's demise was the Japanese attacks which had forced the Mongol commanders to have their large and unwieldy ships lashed together using chains. It was this defensive measure which proved fatal, come the typhoon.

Wonderful to see a good historical video on the topic, since many go the easy route and do not go over fine and important details and just chalk it all up to the kamikaze. Thank you for your work!

this channel has helped me through many restless nights. big thanks to everyone involved!

im always learning new things, thanks to your amazing team!

This is one of your best videos. I am familiar with the basics but never heard the amount of detail you provided. 👍

we have been watching your documentary for several years and absolutely love your content keep up the great work

Excellent! Love this series

Thanks for the video 👍🏻

Great video! A fascinating topic to be sure.

You must have realize that i just started to watch your whole mongolian history serie in my holidays! Thanks for the fresh stuff, love it!

This was an awesome video! Thank you for this! I had just purchased a book covering the Mongolian invasions of Japan. Decided to watch this before reading it to give me an insight of what I would be looking at. Awesome video!

Excellent video New perspective

I'm really glad that western accounts are finally giving up on the myth that the mongols only failed due to the kamikaze and not due to the hard fighting of the samurai and their innovative tactics

Crazy how the threat of the mongols inadvertently led to 250 ish years of, more or less, a perpetual state of civil war in Japan.

I enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

Great content

I love this video!

Interesting. I loved the game very very loosely based around this. Great to hear the history around it. 😊

I really enjoy the Kings and Generals content. I would love to see more about japan (like the Gempei War 1180-85). I am really looking forward to the announced content about japan.

Very interesting information about the samurai.

Always interesting to hear more about this incident, K&G is a great channel

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="468">7:48</a> The way you pronounced "katsu" sounded more like "ketsu", which means "ass" :D

Brilliant!

Great vid. Reminds me of the first Shogun Total War game which had this war as a campaign option.

The legend that the kamikaze defeated the Mongols is merely a legend created by the religious powers of the time to show off their divine power. In reality, the Kamakura warriors annihilated the Mongolian army by force of arms.

I wonder if the Mongols found a way to limit the eligible claimants for Great Khan. Otherwise who knows how many civil wars there could've been if the empire lasted longer. I think one of the early kings of England limited the Witan to elect only the brothers and sons of a current king. I hope we get a video on the coronation of a Khan!

King and generals please do one on the Kurds and their involvement and contribution in all the chaos that happened when ancient empires, mongols, muslims, colonial forces fought over their lands. With all the history we got, I am surprised you haven't done a video about us already.

It's interesting when you compare Japan with Britain. Despite becoming one of the largest empires in the world, Britain was subject to defeats in the homeland from invading Romans, Vikings, Normans, Dutch, etc. Japan did a remarkable job defending their homeland for centuries, but had a much smaller empire than Britain. They had a rare amount of self-rule in those days.

This is beautiful don't get me wrong 😂not the war or anything but the documentary

Good video.

Thank you K&G for clarifying great time buy until annual typhoon in English! These are overlooked not only by the West but also by militarist Japanese. Fun fact: "Katsu" may didnt mean "victory" but a cry of encouragement in Zen Buddhism. In this case he might said he would just clear his mind and do the best

It seems that the Mongol Invasion played a role in the downfall of the Kamakura Bakufu. Oh the irony. Great video.

The Japanese used there archers as a static force,they'd deploy wooden Palisades essentially a small wall say 8ft high , and they'd just volley the boats,and once on land they'd shoot at individuals with extreme accuracy I read from some old Korean manuscript from a book,was a Korean guy who captained a boat made in South China and was tasked with providing cover fire via catapults rockets etc from boats,he said "half the men on the landing boat were killed before landed" just one boat of course but man the details were gruesome

I love how I asked for more Japan content and here it is! Love the channel!

The title in the thumbnail made me think of the old Monty Phyton's sketch "self-defense against fruit"

制度面をここまで詳しく扱ってくれる元寇の解説動画はなかなかないです

Anyone else remember this guy from Civ 6, never knew he was such a smart leader!

これは新しい研究が反映されているようですね いまだに台風の話ばかりが有名ですが これが真実のようです

Its unreal that takamune was 18 years old

You guy have to do a review on Ghost of Tsushima.

Hanseong was not the Korean capital at the time. It was Gaegyeong (present day Gaeseong)

It was really nice to get a more detailed summary of this. Even when looking at Japanese History in a class in Japan, they usually don't go further back than the 1400s.

This video is wonderful

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="468">7:48</a> For a moment there, I thought I heard "ketsu" instead of "katsu" (victory), which has a totally different meaning 😅

I don’t know if anyone can answer this, but why did almost everyone decided to kill the Mongol envoys 😅

Not even single a mention of 'totally real historical figure and hero of Tsushima, the Ghost Jin Sakai'😁

The Mongol invasions of Japan took place in 1274 and 1281 CE when Kublai Khan (r. 1260-1294 CE) sent two huge fleets from Korea and China. In both cases, the Japanese, and especially the samurai warriors, vigorously defended their shores but it would be typhoon storms and the so-called kamikaze or 'divine winds' which sank and drowned countless ships and men, thus saving Japan from foreign conquest. The whole glorious episode, which mixed divine intervention with martial heroism, would gain and hold mythical status in Japanese culture forever after. Diplomatic Opening The Mongols had already sucked half of China and Korea into their huge empire, and their leader Kublai Khan now set his sights on Japan. Kublai was the grandson of Genghis and had founded the Yuan dynasty of China (1271-1368 CE) with his capital at Dadu (Beijing), but just why he now wanted to include Japan in his empire is unclear. He may have sought to conquer Japan for its resources. The country did have a long-standing reputation in East Asia as a land of gold, a fact recounted in the West by the Venetian traveller Marco Polo(1254-1324 CE). Kublai Khan may have wished to enhance his prestige or eliminate the trade between that country and his great enemy in southern China, the Southern Song Dynasty (1125-1279 CE). The conquest of Japan would also have brought a new and well-equipped army into the Khan's hands, which he could have used to good effect against the troublesome Song. The invasions may even have been some sort of revenge for the havoc that the wako (Japanese pirates) had been causing to East Asian coastlines and trade ships. Whatever his reasons, the approach was clear: diplomacy first, warfare second. The Great Khan sent a letter to Japan in 1268 CE recognising its leader as the 'king of Japan' and expressing a desire to foster friendly relations but also demanding tribute be paid to the Mongol court with the ominously veiled threat that the use of arms was, the Khan hoped, to be avoided. A Chinese ambassador, Zhao Liangbi, was also sent to Japan in 1270 CE, and he stayed there for a year to foster some sort of understanding between the two nations. Further letters and ambassadors were sent by the Khan up to 1274 CE, but all were blatantly ignored as if the Japanese did not quite know how to respond and so decided to sit silently on the diplomatic fence. The Kamakura Shogunate had ruled Japan since 1192 CE, and the regent shogun Hojo Tokimune (r. 1268-1284 CE) was confident he could meet any threat from mainland Asia. Troops were put on alert in the Dazaifu fortress and military base in northwest Kyushu where any invasion seemed most likely to land, but the Khan's diplomatic approach was rebuffed both by the Japanese emperor and the shogunate. The lack of subtlety in the Japanese response to the Khan's overtures may have been down to their lack of experience in international relations after a long period of isolation and by the bias of their principal contact with mainland Asia, the Southern Song, and the low opinion exiled Chinese Zen Buddhist monks had of their Mongol conquerors. The First Invasion (Bunei Campaign) The Khan amassed a fleet of some 800-900 ships and dispatched it from Korea to Japan in early November 1274 CE. The ships carried an army of some 16,600-40,000 men, which consisted of Mongols and conscripted Chinese and Koreans. The first Japanese territory to receive these invaders was Tsushima and Iki Islands on 5 and 13 November respectively, which were then plundered. The Mongol attacks had met stiff resistance on Tsushima, where the defenders were led by So Sukekuni, but were successful largely thanks to superior numbers. The defensive force at Iki, led by Taira Kagetaka, was equally valiant, but they were eventually obliged to make a last stand within Hinotsume castle. When no reinforcements came from the mainland, the castle fell. After a brief stop at Takashima Island and the Matsuura peninsula, the invasion fleet proceeded to Hakata Bay, landing on 19 November. The large bay's sheltered and shallow waters had suggested to the Japanese this would be the exact spot chosen by the Mongol commanders. Prepared they may have been, but the total Japanese defence force was still small, between 4,000 and 6,000 men. The Mongols won the first engagements thanks to their superior numbers and weapons - the powerful double-horn bow and gunpowder grenades fire by catapults - and their more dynamic battlefield strategies using well-disciplined and skilful cavalry which responded to orders conveyed by gongs and drums. The Mongols had other effective weapons, too, such as armour-piercing crossbows and poisoned arrows. In addition, the Japanese were not used to combat involving mass troop movements as they favoured allowing individual warriors to pick their own single targets. Rather, the Japanese warriors operated in small groups led by a mounted samurai skilled at archery and a number of protective infantry armed with a naginata or curved-blade pole-arm. Another disadvantage was that the Japanese tended to use shields only as protective walls for archers while the Mongols and the Korean infantry typically carried a shield of their own as they moved around the battlefield. The samurai did have certain advantages over the enemy as they wore iron-plate and leather armour (only the Mongol heavy cavalry wore armour) and their long sharp swords were used much more effectively than the Mongol short sword. Curiously, 18 days after first landing on Japanese soil and despite creating a bridgehead at Hakata Bay, the invaders did not push on deeper into Japanese territory. Perhaps this was because of supply problems or the death of the Mongol general Liu Fuxiang, killed by a samurai's arrow. It may also be true that the whole 'invasion' was actually a reconnaissance mission for the second larger invasion yet to come and no conquest was ever intended in 1274 CE. Whatever the motive, the invaders remained by their ships for the night, withdrawing out into the bay for safety on 20 November. This was a fateful decision because, in some accounts, a terrible storm then struck which killed up to a third of the Mongol army and severely damaged the fleet. The attackers were thus obliged to withdraw back to Korea. Diplomatic Interval Kublai Khan then returned to diplomacy and sent another embassy to Japan in 1275 CE demanding, once again, tribute be paid. This time the shogunate was even more dismissive in its reply and beheaded the Mongol ambassadors on a beach near Kamakura. The Khan was undeterred and sent a second embassy in 1279 CE. The messengers met the same fate as their predecessors, and the Khan realised only force would bring Japan into the Mongol Empire. However, Kublai Khan was occupied with campaigns in southern China against the Song, and it would be two more years before he turned his attention once again to Japan. Meanwhile, the Japanese had been expecting an imminent invasion ever since 1274 CE, and this period of high suspense made a great dent in the government's treasury. Apart from keeping the army on standby, fortifications were built and massive stone walls erected around Hakata Bay in 1275 CE which measured some 19 kilometres (12 miles) in length and were up to 2.8 metres (9 ft) high in places. Intended to permit archers on horses, the inner sides of the Hakata walls were sloped while the outer facing was sheer. If a second invasion was to come, Japan was now much more prepared for it.

I can tell the artists had a lot of fun with this one haha

this would make awesome TV series

nice

Interesting

Can you pls make video on second crusade ?

Regent of the regent of the regent 🤣

Vietnam saved Japan from the 3rd invasion because of the defeat of Mongol at Dai Viet and Champa, which caused much more pride damage

"Katsu!" as an answer The question to Tokimune : What is your response to the Mongols? The question to me : What do you want to eat?

I am glad you guys posted this. Weirdly, the Samurai get an exaggerated image. But among people interested in history, I feel like they often take that exaggeration and use it as a reason to dismiss any success Japan or the Samurai had in war. No, they were not supernatural swordsmen. But yes, Japan did defeat the invasions from Mongolia fair and square.

Just finished Ghost of Tsushima on New Years Day. Its amazing how they incorporate real world events to fictional characters that it made the game more realistic.

Goryeo didn't have Hanseong as its capital. The capital of Goryeo was Gaegyeong. And Goryeo was a supporter of Kublai Khan, so the Goryeo royal family and Kublai Khan became relatives.

what a cool and educational video

Ah yes, not paying your troops... what could possibly go wrong?

Genial,la historia no son memes simplistas.Los nipones se prepararon y lucharon

The original Kamikaze aka 大風 helped a lot.

Among the nations that successfully defended and defeated the Mongols, which one of them did the best? Or are they all equally good from certain perspectives and environments?

Please make a video on Pallava Dynasty

Thank you for those who support this chanel!!

Ghost of Tushima on PC next year fellas...

Any Mount & Blade veteran will tell how devastating horse archers are in open plains & how useless they are in trees & mountains.

Pleas make a video about the iraqi revolt in 1920

Make video about Hayato people, please. The Austronesians in Japan

Please do a video about the Mongol women Calvary that threw bombs at their foes

Tokumune said "Ketsu" for "victory"? (Are you sure? Isn't it like "Kessen/決戦だ" or something?)

Jin Sakai. The Ghost of Tsushima.

love this channel n the wizards n warriors

Nicee

No mention of the “Ghost”??

The Mongol invasions of Japan were the topic that made me fall in love with Japanese history. I used to draw so many random battle scenes between samurais and Mongol warriors in my notebooks. Also for some reason I used to compare it to the Greek-Persian Wars (probably because I learned of it when I was an early adolescent who used to watch clips from "300" on YT). Nowadays I compare it more to the Spanish attempt of invading England.

Still waiting for the mongol invasion of europe series to continue

They sure had a lot of regents during this time!

By defending their tower rush and spamming feudal age samurai and onna-bugeishas.

I just wish Ghost of Tsushima would release on PC :((

Yah dawg i heard you like regency so we have regen for your regen

The Regent of the Regent, does that make him Assistant to the Regional Manager? Sounds like Dwight Schrute in Japan. 😂

The Yuan dynasty was a duel monarchy of China and Mongolia in the same way the Habsburg dynasty reigned as a duel monarchy of Austro-Hungary. Most territory that China either controls or claims nowadays is based off of the gains of the Yuan dynasty. So if you think about it, Japan not only defeated Mongolia but also China.

This is making me wanna play Ghost of Tsushima again....thats it im playing Ghost of Tsushima again.

Jin Sakai

Let's build up an army of well trained and equipped men and then tell them that their payment is, "the knowledge of a fantastic job defending the realm!" what could possibly go wrong?🤔😆

Poor hojo, the politics involved was more stressful than the invasion itself

Mongol invasion: DDay before DDay was cool.

Let's not forget that, taking the sea, disembarking, establishing a bridgehead with logistics were not trivial endeavours. The mongols were land warriors less prone to fight with ease when crossing a sea like Tsushima strait... The japanese were in a very favorable position to oppose their enemy. Bela 4 from Hungary would have loved to have the same conditions when opposing the hordes... Still he manages to endure and be successful at the end..

Please add Persian subtitles

Soooooo. Not to be THAT sorta Shy.... But when you getting back to the Mongol alternate history on wizards and warriors? XD

I'm literally playing Ghost of Tsushima rn lol