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==The Rise of Takauji==

==The Rise of Takauji==

In December 1335 a punitive expedition led by the Emperor's son Takanaga and Nitta Yoshisada marched out from Kyoto and defeated an advance force commanded by Tadayoshi in Mikawa province. The Imperialists pressed eastward, only to be mauled by Takauji himself in the Ashigara pass of the Hakone Mountains. A following battle in Suruga sent Go-Daigo's army fleeing westward, pursued by the Ashikaga. On 23 February Takauji's army fought its way into Kyoto but failed to capture Go-Daigo, who had taken up with the warrior monks of the Enryakuji. Takauji himself arrived two days later and began what would prove to be an extremely short-lived occupation of Kyoto. At the same time, the loyalist general Kitabatake Akiie had gathered an army and drove on the capital, gratefully accepting the full assistance of the Enryakuji. Within days of entering the capital, Takauji found himself forced to defend it against Kitabatake, and after four days retreated to Settsu. Takauji eventually made his way to Kyushu, on the way making various promises and appointments to drum up a considerable amount of support from the western families. Once on Kyushu, a brief campaign was required to defeat the sole source of notable opposition to the Ashikaga on the island, the Kikuchi. The Kikuchi were defeated at the [[Battle of Tadara no hama]] on 14 April [[1336]], and Takauji now had a secure base of operations and the support of the Kyushu warrior families, including the Shimazu, [[Matsuura clan|Matsuura]], [[Otomo clan|Otomo]], and [[Shoni clan|Shoni]]. Adding these clans to those already in the Ashikaga camp (the [[Hosokawa clan|Hosokawa]], [[Akamatsu clan|Akamatsu]], [[Imagawa clan|Imagawa]], [[Isshiki clan|Isshiki]], Nikki, Uesugi, [[Ko clan|Ko]], and [[Ouchi clan|Ouchi]]) rounded out a formidable coalition that was far more formidable then the army Takauji had marched to Kyoto with. Nonetheless, Takauji could not afford to dally on Kyushu for long: at other points throughout the country Go-Daigo's forces were pressing those Ashikaga bastions left behind, including those in the Kanto and the eastern Chugoku provinces. In June Takauji headed back towards Kyoto, setting part of his army on the march through western Honshu and the other slowly advancing via ship.

In December 1335 a punitive expedition led by the Emperor's son Takanaga and Nitta Yoshisada marched out from Kyoto and defeated an advance force commanded by Tadayoshi in Mikawa province. The Imperialists pressed eastward, only to be mauled by Takauji himself in the Ashigara pass of the Hakone Mountains. A following battle in Suruga sent Go-Daigo's army fleeing westward, pursued by the Ashikaga. On 23 February Takauji's army fought its way into Kyoto but failed to capture Go-Daigo, who had taken up with the warrior monks of the Enryakuji. Takauji himself arrived two days later and began what would prove to be an extremely short-lived occupation of Kyoto. At the same time, the loyalist general Kitabatake Akiie had gathered an army and drove on the capital, gratefully accepting the full assistance of the Enryakuji. Within days of entering the capital, Takauji found himself forced to defend it against Kitabatake, and after four days retreated to Settsu. Takauji eventually made his way to Kyushu, on the way making various promises and appointments to drum up a considerable amount of support from the western families. Once on Kyushu, a brief campaign was required to defeat the sole source of notable opposition to the Ashikaga on the island, the Kikuchi. The Kikuchi were defeated at the [[Battle of Tadara no hama]] on 14 April [[1336]], and Takauji now had a secure base of operations and the support of the Kyushu warrior families, including the Shimazu, [[Matsura clan|Matsura]], [[Otomo clan|Otomo]], and [[Shoni clan|Shoni]]. Adding these clans to those already in the Ashikaga camp (the [[Hosokawa clan|Hosokawa]], [[Akamatsu clan|Akamatsu]], [[Imagawa clan|Imagawa]], [[Isshiki clan|Isshiki]], Nikki, Uesugi, [[Ko clan|Ko]], and [[Ouchi clan|Ouchi]]) rounded out a formidable coalition that was far more formidable then the army Takauji had marched to Kyoto with. Nonetheless, Takauji could not afford to dally on Kyushu for long: at other points throughout the country Go-Daigo's forces were pressing those Ashikaga bastions left behind, including those in the Kanto and the eastern Chugoku provinces. In June Takauji headed back towards Kyoto, setting part of his army on the march through western Honshu and the other slowly advancing via ship.

Faced with Takauji's inexorable movement towards Kyoto, Go-Daigo was pressed by Nitta and the court for immediate action, with Nitta advocating an all-out battle with Takauji's army to end the war decisively. [[Kusunoki Masashige]] was against a direct approach due to the disparity in numbers but in the end Go-Daigo decided to fight. Often presented as foolishness on his part (especially to highlight the tragedy of Masashige's resulting death), Go-Daigo's decision may simply have been realistic. Taking to the hills again (as Kusunoki suggested) would probably have only delayed the inevitable. Most of the country's important samurai families were either already on Takauji's side or leaning that way-Go-Daigo's [[Kemmu Restoration]] was in fact already over.

Faced with Takauji's inexorable movement towards Kyoto, Go-Daigo was pressed by Nitta and the court for immediate action, with Nitta advocating an all-out battle with Takauji's army to end the war decisively. [[Kusunoki Masashige]] was against a direct approach due to the disparity in numbers but in the end Go-Daigo decided to fight. Often presented as foolishness on his part (especially to highlight the tragedy of Masashige's resulting death), Go-Daigo's decision may simply have been realistic. Taking to the hills again (as Kusunoki suggested) would probably have only delayed the inevitable. Most of the country's important samurai families were either already on Takauji's side or leaning that way-Go-Daigo's [[Kemmu Restoration]] was in fact already over.