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[[Image:Oda_nobunaga.jpg|thumb|right|Oda Nobunaga.]]

[[Image:Oda_nobunaga.jpg|thumb|right|Oda Nobunaga.]]

Nobunaga was born Oda Kipposhi, the second son of [[Oda Nobuhide]] ([[1508]]? –[[1549]]), a minor lord whose family once served the [[Shiba province|Shiba]] shugo. Nobuhide was a skilled warrior, and spent much of his time fighting the samurai of [[Mikawa province|Mikawa]] and [[Mino province|Mino]]. He also had enemies closer to home - the Oda were divided into two separate camps, with both vying for control of [[Owari province|Owari's] eight districts. Nobuhide's branch, of which he was one of three elders, was based at [[Kiyosu castle]]. The rival branch was to the north, in [[Iwakura castle]].  

Nobunaga was born Oda Kipposhi, the second son of [[Oda Nobuhide]] ([[1508]]? –[[1549]]), a minor lord whose family once served the [[Shiba province|Shiba]] shugo. Nobuhide was a skilled warrior, and spent much of his time fighting the samurai of [[Mikawa province|Mikawa]] and [[Mino province|Mino]]. He also had enemies closer to home - the Oda were divided into two separate camps, with both vying for control of [[Owari province|Owari's]] eight districts. Nobuhide's branch, of which he was one of three elders, was based at [[Kiyosu castle]]. The rival branch was to the north, in [[Iwakura castle]].  

Many of Nobuhide's battles were fought in Mikawa, against the Matsudaira and the Imagawa clan. The latter were old and prestigious, rulers of Suruga and overlords of Totomi. The Matsudaira were as obscure as the Oda, and while not as splintered politically, they were slowly coming under the Imagawa's influence. The decade leading up to [[1548]] was dominated along the Mikawa-Owari border by the contention of three men - Oda Nobuhide, [[Matsudaira Hirotada]], and [[Imagawa Yoshimoto]]. In [[1542]], Imagawa, supported by the Matsudaira, marched as far west as the Owari border, and was met by Oda Nobuhide and his younger brother [[Tsuda Nobumitsu]] at Azukizaka. In this bitter fight, the Oda emerged victorious, but not decisively. In 1548 Nobuhide attempted to arrange the defection of a certain [[Matsudaira Tadamoto]] of Mikawa away from Hirotada. Tadamoto, however, ended up being killed in the attempt, and Oda launched an attack on Okazaki, evidently to make up for the disappointment. Matsudaira Hirotada thus found himself in difficult straights, and called on Imagawa for assistance. Yoshimoto replied that he would be happy to help - so long as Hirotada was willing to send along his young son as a hostage. Hirotada had little choice, and shipped off 6-year old Takechiyo (the future [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]) westward. En-route to [[Suruga province|Suruga]], unfortunately, Oda loyalists intercepted the hostage party and made off with Takechiyo, taking the child to Nobuhide. Nobuhide immediately made use of his new card and demanded that Hirotada give up Okazaki in return for his son's life. Hirotada wisely refused, and Nobuhide, his bluff called, did no harm to the boy. Later in 1548, Imagawa and Oda met again in battle, and this time the Imagawa came out the winner. The following year Nobuhide died, leaving an Oda clan divided in every possible way.  

Many of Nobuhide's battles were fought in Mikawa, against the Matsudaira and the Imagawa clan. The latter were old and prestigious, rulers of Suruga and overlords of Totomi. The Matsudaira were as obscure as the Oda, and while not as splintered politically, they were slowly coming under the Imagawa's influence. The decade leading up to [[1548]] was dominated along the Mikawa-Owari border by the contention of three men - Oda Nobuhide, [[Matsudaira Hirotada]], and [[Imagawa Yoshimoto]]. In [[1542]], Imagawa, supported by the Matsudaira, marched as far west as the Owari border, and was met by Oda Nobuhide and his younger brother [[Tsuda Nobumitsu]] at Azukizaka. In this bitter fight, the Oda emerged victorious, but not decisively. In 1548 Nobuhide attempted to arrange the defection of a certain [[Matsudaira Tadamoto]] of Mikawa away from Hirotada. Tadamoto, however, ended up being killed in the attempt, and Oda launched an attack on Okazaki, evidently to make up for the disappointment. Matsudaira Hirotada thus found himself in difficult straights, and called on Imagawa for assistance. Yoshimoto replied that he would be happy to help - so long as Hirotada was willing to send along his young son as a hostage. Hirotada had little choice, and shipped off 6-year old Takechiyo (the future [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]]) westward. En-route to [[Suruga province|Suruga]], unfortunately, Oda loyalists intercepted the hostage party and made off with Takechiyo, taking the child to Nobuhide. Nobuhide immediately made use of his new card and demanded that Hirotada give up Okazaki in return for his son's life. Hirotada wisely refused, and Nobuhide, his bluff called, did no harm to the boy. Later in 1548, Imagawa and Oda met again in battle, and this time the Imagawa came out the winner. The following year Nobuhide died, leaving an Oda clan divided in every possible way.