Changes

==The Reluctant Warlord==

==The Reluctant Warlord==

Before Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in 1598, Terumoto was named one of the five regents tasked with acting as administrators until the young [[Toyotomi Hideyori]] could come of age. Of the five (which also included [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], [[Ukita Hideie]], [[Meada Toshiie]], and [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]]) Terumoto ranked second in strength behind Tokugawa with an annual income of nearly 1.2 million koku.  

Before Toyotomi Hideyoshi died in 1598, Terumoto was named one of the five regents tasked with acting as administrators until the young [[Toyotomi Hideyori]] could come of age. Of the five (which also included [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]], [[Ukita Hideie]], [[Maeda Toshiie]], and [[Uesugi Kagekatsu]]) Terumoto ranked second in strength behind Tokugawa with an annual income of nearly 1.2 million koku.  

Perhaps inevitably, Hideyoshi's posthumous government began to splinter, with discord fueled by mutual distrust and the intrigues of Tokugawa and [[Ishida Mitsunari]], one of the 5 Bugyo (commissioners) named at the same time as the regents. By [[1599]] sides had begun to form between these two wildly different men, and at first Terumoto thought of siding with Tokugawa. Unfortunately for Terumoto and the Môri, he listened to his old advisor, [[Ankokuji Ekei]] (?-[[1600]]). A long-time manipulator in a monkish habit, Ekei convinced Terumoto (probably accurately) that Ieyasu was out to disinherit young Hideyori. When Terumoto declared for Ishida Mitsunari, the latter, for political reasons, named Môri the 'commander-in-chief' of the gathering Western Forces. Terumoto displayed little enthusiasm for his new role and failed to grasp the reins of command, vacillating even as his chief commanders argued and Tokugawa called the 'eastern forces' to arms. Mitsunari finally told Terumoto to take up residence in [[Osaka Castle]] and stay there, making Terumoto's command of the army quite nominal. The error of this decision would become evident on 21 October, when the massed forces of East and west met at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]].  

Perhaps inevitably, Hideyoshi's posthumous government began to splinter, with discord fueled by mutual distrust and the intrigues of Tokugawa and [[Ishida Mitsunari]], one of the 5 Bugyo (commissioners) named at the same time as the regents. By [[1599]] sides had begun to form between these two wildly different men, and at first Terumoto thought of siding with Tokugawa. Unfortunately for Terumoto and the Môri, he listened to his old advisor, [[Ankokuji Ekei]] (?-[[1600]]). A long-time manipulator in a monkish habit, Ekei convinced Terumoto (probably accurately) that Ieyasu was out to disinherit young Hideyori. When Terumoto declared for Ishida Mitsunari, the latter, for political reasons, named Môri the 'commander-in-chief' of the gathering Western Forces. Terumoto displayed little enthusiasm for his new role and failed to grasp the reins of command, vacillating even as his chief commanders argued and Tokugawa called the 'eastern forces' to arms. Mitsunari finally told Terumoto to take up residence in [[Osaka Castle]] and stay there, making Terumoto's command of the army quite nominal. The error of this decision would become evident on 21 October, when the massed forces of East and west met at [[Battle of Sekigahara|Sekigahara]].