Battle of Shiroyama
Battle of Shiroyama | |
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Part of the Kagoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan | |
Result |
Imperial victory
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The Battle of Shiroyama (城山の戦い, Shiroyama no tatakai) took place on 24 September 1877, in
Battle
Following their defeat at the Siege of Kumamoto Castle and in other battles in central Kyūshū, the surviving remnants of the samurai forces loyal to Saigō Takamori fled back to Satsuma, seizing the hill of Shiroyama overlooking Kagoshima on 1 September 1877.[4]
Imperial army troops under the command of General Yamagata Aritomo and
Yamagata, although greatly outnumbering Saigō, bided his time constructing a series of fortifications to encircle Saigō and prevent any chance of a breakout, additionally requisitioning five
On 23 September,
After firing a final barrage of artillery lasting the night, Yamagata's men attacked Saigō's position. At 04:00, the battle began. The samurai, under heavy fire, charged the lines of the Imperial Army, which had not been trained for close-quarter sword fighting. In just a few minutes, the once organized line turned into disarray. Highly skilled samurai swordsmanship prevailed against an army with very little traditional training. For a short time, Saigō's lines held, but were forced back due to being outnumbered.
Saigō was mortally wounded in the femoral artery and stomach, and was carried by Beppu Shinsuke downhill to find a place to commit seppuku. Serving as kaishakunin, Beppu cut off Saigō's head and hid it to prevent it from being found by the enemy.[3] However, because the decapitation was done hastily, some of Saigō's hair remained, and a coolie was able to find his head.[2] After Saigō's death, Beppu, now in command, charged downhill and was shot to death himself – without any ammunition, the rest of the samurai drew their swords, charged downhill, and were subsequently killed.[6] With these deaths, the Satsuma rebellion came to an end.
Aftermath
Financially, crushing the Satsuma Rebellion cost the government a total of ¥420,000,000 (£8,400,000),
The rebellion also effectively ended the samurai class, as the new Imperial Japanese Army built on
In popular culture
The battle and actions of Takamori are depicted in the final scenes of the 2003 American film, The Last Samurai, directed by Edward Zwick.[11]
In 2016, Swedish power metal band Sabaton released the album The Last Stand, featuring a song about the Battle of Shiroyama.[12]
References
- ^ a b Hickman, Kennedy. "Battle of Shiroyama – Satsuma Rebellion Battle of Shiroyama". about.com: Military History. Archived from the original on 8 January 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
- ^ a b Mounsey, Augustus. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History. p. 215.
- ^ a b c d "Satsuma Rebellion: Satsuma Clan Samurai Against the Imperial Japanese Army". Military History Magazine. 12 June 2006.
- ^ Mounsey, Augustus. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History. p. 210.
- ^ Mounsey, Augustus. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History. pp. 213–214.
- ^ a b Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Samurai: The World of the Warrior. Osprey Publishing. p. 202.
- ^ Mounsey, Augustus. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History. p. 235.
- ^ Mounsey, Augustus. The Satsuma Rebellion: An Episode of Modern Japanese History. pp. 238–239.
- ^ Turnbull, Stephen (2003). Samurai: The World of the Warrior. p. 203.
- S2CID 155001706– via JSTOR.
- ^ "The Last Samurai: The True History Behind The Film". War History Online.
- ^ "Shiroyama - Lyrics". Sabaton Official Website. Nuclear Blast Records. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
Further reading
- Keane, Donald (2005). Emperor Of Japan: Meiji And His World, 1852–1912. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-12341-8.
- Ravina, Mark (2004). The Last Samurai: The Life and Battles of Saigō Takamori. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-08970-2.