Sekigahara: strategy or cowardly

[devourment77]

What do you think about Sekigahara, (the battle where Ieyasu united japan and bacame shogun). Do you think it was cowardly to use Kobayakawa Hideaki's forces, who were allies with Ishida Mitsunari, and yet turned on Mitsunari half way during the battle. (Mitsuanrai was winning) OR do you see it as good strategy for Tokugawa, who were outnumbered, and chose to sway part of his enemies army to aid himself?

Personally, according to the art of war ("All warfare is based on deception") I think it was pretty clever of him.

[ZealUK]

Good strategy I say.

Didn't Ieyasu order his arquebusiers to fire on Kobayakawa Hideaki in order to spur him into action against Ishida Mitsunari? They must have made arrangements to change sides before the battle began.

Ishida had a stronger claim to the shogunate than Tokugawa Ieyasu as well. He had several powerful families backing him (Mori, Shimazu) as well as the notion that he was following on from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ieyasu had to win to secure the title of shogun for himself.

[Genji]

.

Ishida had a stronger claim to the shogunate than Tokugawa Ieyasu as well. He had several powerful families backing him (Mori, Shimazu) as well as the notion that he was following on from Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Ieyasu had to win to secure the title of shogun for himself.

ishida(like Hideyoshi) could never have become shogun he did not have the noble linage required.

[hobbit]

Of course it was good strategy - not the only time in battle where a group have changed sides to alter the course of events - there are no prizes for coming second in war.

[Zaphiel]

there is a difference between being a samurai and being a general......
as samurai you would call that cowardly
as a general you would call it a good strategy...just the way of Sunzi's Art of war!

[Holmgren-san]

I'd say it was a very good strategy. When you're in a battle of that size, and when the outcome decides the fate and future of a country--your country, you have to make some possibly costly decisions, whether or not others will look on it as cowardly. But again, I'd say it was a good strategy.