Battle of Tedorigawa

Warbox
conflict=Battle of Tedorigawa
partof=the Sengoku period


caption=
date=1577
place=Tedori River, Kaga province
result=Uesugi victory
combatant1=Forces of Uesugi Kenshin
combatant2=Forces of Oda Nobunaga
commander1=Uesugi Kenshin
commander2=Shibata Katsuie
Maeda Toshiie
Chō Shigetsura
strength1=about 30,000
strength2=about 50,000
casualties1=
casualties2=

The nihongo|Battle of Tedorigawa|手取川の戦い|Tedorigawa no Tatakai took place near the Tedori River in Japan's Kaga Province in 1577. The battle site is in the modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture.

Background

The Tedorigawa Campaign was precipitated by Uesugi intervention inside the domain of the Hatakeyama clan, an Oda Client state. This event provoked the Uesugi incursion was a Coup d'état led by the pro Oda General Chō Shigetsura, that killed Hatakeyama Yoshinori the lord of Noto and replaced him with Hatakeyama Yoshitaka as a puppet ruler. As a result Uesugi Kenshin, the head of the Uesegi clan mobilized an army to lead into Noto against Shigetsura. Consequently Nobunaga sent an army led by Shibata Katsuie; one of his most experienced generals to reinforce their allies. [ [http://www.samurai-archives.com/kenshin.html Uesugi Kenshin ] ]

Battle

Kenshin, taking the initiative moved to encircle Shigetsura’s forces preventing them from linking with the Oda army, and trapping Shigetsura in Anamizu Castle (the main Hatakeyama stronghold) the subsequent Breakthrough killed Shigetsura and resulted in the Hatakeyama switching allegiance to the Uesugi.

Due to the fall of Anamizu Castle the Oda army (now joined by Nobunaga himself) halted their march into Noto near the Tedori River and prepared to use cannons for stand-off tactics against the Uesugi. However a skillful nighttime feint by Kenshin (suggesting he had divided his forces) led to Nobunaga ordering Katsuie to charge against the Uesugi lines. Kenshin ordered the river’s floodgates to be opened. The strong current from the river prevented the Oda clan from effectively using its Arquebus and cannons. The Oda charge itself was repulsed due to the current and inferior close quarter ability of the ashigaru making up the bulk of the Oda army. Having suffered heavy casualties, Nobunaga orders a retreat into Ōmi Province. [ [http://www.samurai-archives.com/kenshin.html Uesugi Kenshin ] ] [Rekishi Gunzô Shirizu , Uesugi Kenshin Japan: Gakken, 1999 ]

Aftermath

The Uesugi scored a significant victory at Tedorigawa. As a result the distribution of power in the north shifted towards Kenshin and the Uesugi were temporarily able to extend their influence as far as the Kaga Province. Nobunaga was devastated with this defeat, so much so in fact that according to one account, he prepared to surrender if Kenshin began to march towards Kyoto. Kenshin however, died before that plan was initiated. Subsequently the Uesugi fell into a civil war and as a result by 1582 the Oda had managed to force the Uesugi all the way back to the Echigo Province.

References