About the Winter Siege of Osaka
The Winter Siege of Osaka was fought in 1614 (11th–12th months, Keichō 19) at Osaka, Settsu Province. 200,000 Tokugawa troops surround Osaka Castle. Sanada Nobushige builds the Sanada-maru, an outwork south of the outer moat, and shoots down the assaults of Maeda, Ii and Matsudaira. Then the bombardment by heavy guns, the truce, and the filling-in of the moats: the siege that set the stage for the summer campaign.
- Year
- 161411th–12th months, Keichō 19
- Place
- Osaka, Settsu Province
- Era
- Early Edo period
The two armies
Toyotomi forces Commander-in-chiefToyotomi Hideyori 41,0004 units 
Tokugawa forces Commander-in-chiefTokugawa Ieyasu 82,5007 units Troop strengthTotal of the units shown in 3D
Fought 41,000
Fought 82,500
Toyotomi forcesBy troop strength
- Toyotomi Hideyori 豊臣秀頼 Commander-in-chief 30,000
-
Sanada Nobushige 真田信繁 5,000 - Kimura Shigenari 木村重成 3,000
- Gotō Mototsugu 後藤基次 3,000
Tokugawa forcesBy troop strength
- Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康 Commander-in-chief 30,000
- Tokugawa Hidetada 徳川秀忠 20,000
-
Maeda Toshitsune 前田利常 12,000 - Matsudaira Tadanao 松平忠直 10,000
-
Uesugi Kagekatsu 上杉景勝 5,000 -
Ii Naotaka 井伊直孝 4,000 - Satake Yoshinobu 佐竹義宣 1,500
Portraits are public-domain images from Wikimedia Commons (some are later imagined depictions).
How the battle unfoldedTimes follow the 3D clock
- 10th monthCh. 1
SiegeThe Rōnin Gather at Osaka
In Keichō 19, using the inscription on the Hōkō-ji bell as a pretext, Ieyasu resolved to destroy the Toyotomi. A hundred thousand masterless warriors of Sekigahara, among them Sanada Nobushige, Gotō Mototsugu and Mōri Katsunaga, gathered in Osaka Castle. Nobushige argued for an outwork beyond the southern outer moat, the castle's weak point, and built it himself: the Sanada-maru.
- Nov 19Ch. 2
OutpostsFirst Shots at Kizugawa and Imafuku
On the 19th day of the 11th month the Tokugawa took the fort at the Kizu river mouth to the west, and on the 26th Satake Yoshinobu and Uesugi Kagekatsu clashed with the Toyotomi at Imafuku and Shigino to the north-east. Kimura Shigenari and Gotō Mototsugu fought hard at Imafuku, but the fort fell to the Tokugawa. The Toyotomi were losing every foothold outside the walls.
- Nov 30Ch. 3
EncirclementA Ring of 200,000
Ieyasu set his headquarters on Chausuyama to the south and Hidetada on Okayama, and 200,000 Tokugawa troops ringed Osaka Castle many lines deep. But the moats were wide and deep, and a storm was no easy matter. Tokugawa eyes turned to the small outwork jutting south from the outer moat: the Sanada-maru.
- Dec 4Ch. 4
Sanada-maruThe Fight for the Sanada-maru
On the 4th day of the 12th month Maeda Toshitsune's men reached the palisade of the Sanada-maru. Nobushige deliberately drew them in and fired volleys at point-blank range. The contingents of Ii Naotaka and Matsudaira Tadanao charged too, each racing for the honour, and piled up in the narrow dry moat. The guns of the Sanada-maru did not fall silent all day, and the Tokugawa withdrew with thousands of casualties.
- Dec 16Ch. 5
BombardmentHeavy Guns on the Keep
Giving up on a storm, Ieyasu bombarded the castle day and night with heavy guns emplaced at Bizenjima and elsewhere. Shot from the great cannon known as "realm-breakers" reached the keep and the palace of the inner bailey, and one of Yodo-dono's ladies-in-waiting was blown to pieces. Under the roar and shaking, morale inside the castle wavered and voices for a truce grew louder.
- Dec 19Ch. 6
TrucePeace Is Made
On the 19th day of the 12th month a truce was concluded through Ieyasu's consort Acha no Tsubone and Yodo-dono's sister Jōkō-in. The terms: the outer moat and the moats of the second and third baileys to be filled in, leaving only the inner bailey. Nobushige and the rōnin objected, but the Toyotomi accepted.
- Dec 20Ch. 7
Filling InThe Moats Are Filled
From the day after the truce the Tokugawa turned out in full force to fill the moats. The promise to fill only the outer moat was ignored, and the moats of the second and third baileys were filled in at a stroke. The Sanada-maru was demolished. Upon the naked castle the summer campaign of the following year was already closing in.
In Ultra detailBattle Pass
The same scene in the standard quality and in Ultra detail. Drag the line to compare, and switch between "Wide" and "Close-up". Ultra detail adds rugged mountains, forests and rocks in 3D, rippling seas and rivers, rows in the fields and soldiers as figures. Chapter 1 of every battle can be watched in Ultra detail without the Battle Pass.
FAQ
What was the Winter Siege of Osaka?
200,000 Tokugawa troops surround Osaka Castle. Sanada Nobushige builds the Sanada-maru, an outwork south of the outer moat, and shoots down the assaults of Maeda, Ii and Matsudaira. Then the bombardment by heavy guns, the truce, and the filling-in of the moats: the siege that set the stage for the summer campaign.
When and where did the Winter Siege of Osaka take place?
It took place in 1614 at Osaka, Settsu Province (11th–12th months, Keichō 19).
Who fought in the Winter Siege of Osaka?
Toyotomi Hideyori of the Toyotomi forces, Tokugawa Ieyasu of the Tokugawa forces were among the commanders.
Can I watch the Winter Siege of Osaka in 3D?
Yes. This page plays a free three-minute 3D animated overview showing the deployments, the movements of each army and how the battle was decided.
Update history of this battle
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