ted generals, Shibata Katsuiye, Sakuma Nobumori, and
Hayashi Mitsukatsu, strenuously opposed this plan. They saw no
prospect whatever of success in assuming the offensive against
strength so superior, and they urged the advisability of yielding
temporarily and awaiting an opportunity to recover independence.
Here, Hideyoshi is reputed to have shown conspicuous wisdom at the
council-table. He pointed out that there could be no such thing as
temporary surrender. The Imagawa would certainly insist on hostages
sufficiently valuable to insure permanent good faith, and he further
declared that it was a mistake to credit the Imagawa with possessing
the good-will of any of the other great feudatories, since they were
all equally jealous of one another.

Finally, it was resolved that seven forts should be built and
garrisoned, and that five of them should be allowed to fall into the
enemy's hands if resistance proved hopeless. In the remaining two
forts the garrisons were to be composed of the best troops in the
Owari army, and over these strongholds were to be flown the flags of
Nobunaga himself and of his chief general. It was hoped that by their
success in five of the forts the Imagawa army would be at once
physically wearied and morally encouraged to concentrate their entire
strength and attention on the capture of the last two fortresses.
Meanwhile, Nobunaga himself, with a select body of troops, was to
march by mountain roads to the rear of the invading forces and
deliver a furious attack when such a manoeuvre was least expected.
The brave men who engaged in this perilous enterprise were
strengthened by worshipping at the shrine of Hachiman in the village
of Atsuta, and their prayers evoked appearances which were
interpreted as manifestations of divine assistance. Most fortunately
for the Owari troops, their movements were shrouded by a heavy
rainfall, and they succeeded in inflicting serious loss on the
invading army, driving it pele-mele across the border and killing its
chief, Yoshimoto. No attempt was made to pursue the fugitives into
Mikawa. Nobunaga was prudently content with his signal victory. It
raised him at once to a level with the greatest provincial barons in
the empire, and placed him in the foremost rank of the aspirants for
an Imperial commission.

ENGRAVING: TOKUGAWA IEYASU

TOKUGAWA IEYASU

The battle of Okehazama led to another incident of prime importance
in Japanese history. It brought about an a